New Mercedes GLC Electric 2026 review: refined and packed with tech

If you have the optional ‘Sky Control’ panoramic roof you can adjust the level of light entering the cabin by making different sections opaque. It’s a feature we’ve seen on the Renault Scenic E-Tech, but it’s even more impressive here, with 162 three-pointed stars providing a new take on ambient lighting. 

There’s plenty of kit offered on the entry-level Sport including two wireless phone chargers, two-zone climate control, plus Mercedes’ latest active high-beam assist which can now illuminate the length of five football pitches. 

The latest iteration of the ‘parking package’ with MB.Drive parking assist is standard as well. It worked brilliantly when we tried it, reversing the GLC up to 150 metres by itself, including hands-free steering. The self-park function is better than ever too, locating free spaces much quicker, and swiftly slotting the GLC into a parking bay faster than we reckon most drivers would be able to. 

Along with being packed with kit the GLC is also spacious inside. There’s 47mm more legroom and 17mm more headroom than the combustion GLC – which isn’t exactly short of space as it is. As for the boot, there’s 50 litres more (570 litres total) than you’ll find in an iX3, although we found the Merc’s loading lip a little high. The ‘frunk’ is a cavernous 128 litres, accessed by pressing the Mercedes badge on the bonnet – rather than having to fiddle around in the footwell as in most of this car’s rivals. 

The GLC is pretty expensive to buy at £61,100 in its entry-level Sport trim, though Mercedes says 90 per cent of its customers will opt for the AMG Line version, which costs an extra £3,000. While we’ll need to wait a little longer for lease or finance costs, the most basic BMW comes in at under £60k – another area where the iX3 has the GLC beat…

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