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Our spies have eyes everywhere. Part of the team is currently based in northern Europe to immortalize prototypes of the new Mercedes GLC, including a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Another spy photographer captured the compact crossover nearly 1,500 miles away as it was being loaded into a truck. Oddly enough, the car had no camo at all, despite the car cover on the roof and some protective coating on the tailgate.
Trapped in Stuttgart, the GLC appears to be a near-production prototype with all the final parts in place. You can tell it’s a new one right away by the position of the side mirrors as it has been moved lower in the door than sitting at the base of the A-pillar. The belt line is no longer completely flat as it is now slowly rising towards the rear. Additionally, the door handle is located much lower on the door panel where the top character line is less distracting.
17 Photo
While it’s hard to tell from this angle, the new GLC should be bigger than its predecessor now Mercedes is also selling a seven-seat GLB boxy crossover. The two are nearly the same length, which means the three-pointed star may have decided to make the GLK spiritual successor bigger and avoid any potential overlap.
The rest of the images depict fully camouflaged prototypes, some of which have a PHEV setup as denoted by the aero wheel and the letter “E” at the end of the license plate. Interestingly, this GLC looks taller than it looks in Germany. The electrified model is expected to inherit the 25.4 kWh battery pack from the latest C300e where it has enough power for an electric range of over 62 miles (100 kilometers). The GLC 300e may not be able to match it as we expected it to be a bit heavier.
The C-Class sedan and wagon models are rear-wheel drive for now, but it’s likely AWD will follow suit and that would make more sense at the GLC. The 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine works with an electric motor for a combined output of 308 horsepower and 550 Newton-meters (406 pound-feet) in the existing C300e.
The PHEV sedan takes 6.1 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from rest while the wagon takes an extra tenth of a second due to its smaller size. Top speed when the combustion engine is running reaches 152 mph (245 km/h) for the sedan and slightly lower at 149 mph (240 km/h) for the estate. In EV mode, both reach speeds of 87 mph (140 km/h).
It’s expected the cover will be out later this year, with AMG following in 2023. And yes, the GLC 63e, or whatever it’s called, will make the switch from a V8 to a 2.0-liter engine that’s smaller than the “45” model. Mounted longitudinally, the combustion engine with its e-turbo will put out about 442 hp (330 kW) before adding the extra muscle of the electric motor.
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