Mercedes GLC 400

Hot on the heels of the hugely impressive all new BMW iX3 comes its electric SUV arch-rival from Mercedes

- Alastair Crooks

WE drove the new Mercedes GLC Electric a few times during its development phase, but now it's time to try the finished article.

This is a hugely important car for its maker, not just because it's the all-electric alternative to the firm’s global best-seller, but also as a platform to show off its latest technology. That includes a polarising new grille design, featuring 942 back-lit squares to ensure you know exactly what car’s coming towards you in the dead of night.

Then there's the timing. We're driving the GLC Electric just as we've had our first taste of the very impressive BMW iX3 in the UK. Both BMW's first Neue Klasse car and the GLC - the first model to use Mercedes’ new MB.EA platform - represent a line in the sand, and an exciting moment in the two German firms’ long-standing rivalry.

From launch, the Mercedes will only be available in the dual-motor GLC 400 guise, but a single-motor car is coming, prioritising range over power.

Both of those attributes are pretty impressive in the GLC already though. A 94.5kWh battery allows for between 393 and 405 miles of range, and while that’s some way off the BMW iX3 (up to 500 miles) and the upcoming Volvo EX60 (503 miles), we saw decent efficiency of 3.6 miles per kWh, equating to around 340 miles of real-world range.

Charging is certainly in the right ballpark, with the 800-volt electrical architecture providing a peak of 330kW - enough for a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in 22 minutes. There are none of the 800V to 400V DC-converter issues that hit early CLAs, either.

What the GLC does share with the CLA is its brake recuperation technology, which delivers excellent pedal feel in a seamless, natural way. There's no one-pedal mode, but Mercedes says 99 per cent of braking can be done in the strongest setting - as we can attest. There's no delay after coming off the throttle and it's easy to switch between the four modes using paddles behind the steering wheel.