- Mercedes’ 2027 GLC EV has been spotted testing in Germany.
- The prototype featured a new nose with a different hood shape to the one seen on earlier test cars.
- Although this is the replacement for the EQC, Mercedes is dropping the EQ badge and might call it ‘GLC with EQ Technology.’
Spotting the changes hiding under the camouflage of a facelifted prototype is part of the job around here. But this 2027 Mercedes GLC EV is a different case. It appears to have had a facelift before even reaching the market.
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The GLC EV is the upcoming replacement for the EQC electric SUV, and our spy photo team has captured it several times over the past year or so. But this latest set of scoop images shows a prototype with a totally different front-end design to the one seen on earlier test cars.
Related: Electric Mercedes C-Class And GLC Confirmed For 2026
Those previous prototypes’ hoods featured a straight line across the nose a bit like on the current EQC, but placed further down the car so that it ran between the headlights rather than above them. And that seemed to fit with the new design language Mercedes had teased on the 2023 CLA concept car.
But this new SUV’s hood has a large notch cut into it, presumably to make space for a big Mercedes grille. That would give the GLC EV a similar family look to cars like the current E-Class sedan. The doors still feature some unusual ridges above their flush door handles and the placeholder taillights, but we expect to see new prototypes fitted with the final production equipment in the next few months.
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Although this SUV replaces the EQC, it probably won’t wear that badge. Mercedes is changing up its naming strategy and called the electric version of the G-wagon the G-Class with EQ Technology, instead of EQG. So what we could have here is a GLC with EQ Technology.
It’s not only the name of the electric G-Class that’s changing. The EQC was an EV-converted combustion SUV but its replacement rides on a dedicated electric platform. We don’t know any firm technical details at this stage – the model doesn’t debut until 2026 – but Mercedes showcased 800-volt charging tech on the CLA concept so it would make sense for the GLC to get that too, although the CLA is built on the new MMA architecture and the GLC uses the MB.EA platform designed for medium and larger cars.
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