Aside from the CLA hybrid, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) has also previewed the GLC electric to Malaysian media in Singapore today. The reimagined compact executive SUV is set to arrive on our shores very soon to compete with the also-electric BMW iX3.
Only one powertrain variant will be offered – the midrange GLC300 4Matic electric (Mercedes has thankfully dropped the cumbersome “with EQ Technology” suffix recently), offered in two variants. Pricing is estimated at RM389,000 for the Avantgarde and RM399,000 for the AMG Line Plus – the latter being around the same price as the RM399,800 iX3 with a five-year warranty and service package included.
Unlike the CLA hybrid, which will arrive in CKD locally-assembled form, the GLC will be sold as a CBU full import, with local assembly in Pekan, Pahang happening later. The first 100 buyers will get access to the Mercedes-AMG F1 Party (not the race itself) in Kuala Lumpur.
The GLC300 is slightly down on power compared to the flagship GLC400 that is shown here in Singaporean spec. It still uses dual motors for all-wheel drive, here producing 421 PS (310 kW) and 800 Nm – 68 PS less than the GLC400 and 48 PS less than the iX3 50 xDrive.
Mind you, that’s still enough to get the GLC300 from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds (two tenths of a second quicker than the iX3) on its way to a top speed of 210 km/h. A two-speed gearbox on the rear axle – akin to the Porsche Taycan – improves high-speed efficiency.
The battery is also a smaller 85 kWh NMC battery, delivering a range of up to 616 km on the WLTP cycle (597 km with the Avantgarde’s equipment, 584 km for the AMG Line). Based on the medium version of the Mercedes-Benz Electric Architecture (MB.EA-Medium) that was later used on the C-Class EV, the GLC EV is built on an 800-volt architecture and can support up to 330 kW of DC fast charging, enabling it to be charged from 10 to 80% in 22 minutes.
Like the CLA, the Malaysian-spec GLC EV won’t have the optional DC-DC converter included, so it won’t be able to charge at 400-volt chargers such as Tesla Superchargers. It does, however, come with a 22 kW AC onboard charger for a full charge in 10.5 hours using a compatible wallbox.
The local spec will also lose out on Airmatic air suspension – riding on passive comfort suspension instead – as well as rear-wheel steering. That means the GLC300’s chassis makeup is much like the iX3’s, without the electronic toys available in Singapore.
What the Malaysian GLC misses out in terms of power and chassis, it makes up for in kit. Standard equipment includes Digital Light LED headlamps with adaptive high beam, aluminium side steps, 21-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and projected three-pointed star logos.
These additions dress up a fairly significant revamp of Mercedes’ design language, dominated by a humongous “iconic” grille with illuminated pixels and dinner plate-sized star badge. This is flanked by shapely headlights with rather ostentatious stars – the same graphic can be found on the visor-like taillights.
Setting the AMG Line Plus apart is the usual aggressive AMG Line front and rear bumpers, along with the Night Package with the grille, door mirrors and other exterior trim all finished in gloss black. You also get surround lighting and unique AMG multi-spoke alloys.
Inside, the GLC takes after the CLA with a flat panel for a dashboard and a tall centre console with twin Qi wireless chargers. Here, the Malaysian model again has the measure of the Singaporean one with its MBUX Hyperscreen – an unbroken 39.1-inch display for instrumentation, infotainment and passenger entertainment with matrix backlighting.
As you’d expect in 2026, there’s a dearth of physical controls, although Mercedes has added “rocker and roller” switchgear on the steering wheel to go with the capacitive touch buttons and a handful of switches on the centre console.
Other bits of standard kit include keyless entry and start with a digital key function, dual-zone auto air-con, Energizing Air Control filtration, an electrochromic frosting panoramic glass roof with imprinted illuminated stars, power-adjustable front seats with memory and heating, a 360-degree camera setup with a transparency function, a 15-speaker, 670-watt Burmester 3D sound system and a hands-free powered tailgate.
The differences boil down to the trimming, with the Avantgarde coming with regular (genuine) leather upholstery and brown birch open-pore wood trim. The AMG Line Plus is differentiated by a flat-bottomed twin-spoke steering wheel, black sports seats with red piping, AMG-branded floor mats and black and silver “fibre” decor.
Safety-wise, the GLC comes with 11 airbags (including a centre airbag, knee airbags and the optional rear side airbags) and the MB.Drive Standard suite of driver assists. The latter includes autonomous emergency braking, evasive steering assist, Distronic adaptive cruise control with stop and go, curve speed reduction, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring with collision avoidance, traffic sign recognition, emergency stop assist and parking AEB.
However, the car stops short of offering Level 2 semi-autonomous driving functionality as standard, as it lacks lane centring assist as well as autonomous lane changes. These are part of MB.Drive Assist, which requires a paid 3subscription.
