The 2025 IAA mobility conference in Munich sees Mercedes-Benz and fellow German OEM Volkswagen unveil new battery-electric crossovers, one a production model and the other a near-production concept. Both are new efforts to counter the push being made by Chinese OEMs, which are flooding the European market with attractive entrants and starting to chip away at legacy OEM market share.
Mercedes-Benz’s new GLC EQ, built off the automaker’s new MB.EA dedicated battery-electric-vehicle platform, is estimated to achieve more than 300 miles (483 km) of range when its two variants arrive in the U.S. in 2026 and 2027. The is a relatively big step up from the discontinued EQC, Mercedes’ first BEV CUV launched in 2019 and discontinued in 2023, that at best got around 250 miles (402 km) of range. (Mercedes’ estimate of 443 miles [713 km] of range for the GLC EQ is based on Europe’s WLTP test cycle, which should equate to more than 300 miles on the U.S. EPA test cycle.)
Powering the GLC EQ are 1- or 2-motor propulsion systems mated to a 2-speed transmission. The GLC 300+ model has a single front motor, good for 369 hp and 372 lb.-ft. (504 Nm) of torque, while the GLC 400 4MATIC, with front and rear motors giving it all-wheel-drive capability, puts out a combined 483 hp and 596 lb.-ft. (808 Nm) of torque, topping output of the new BMW iX3 also revealed in Munich.
Both models boast a usable capacity of 94 kWh from their battery packs (containing nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium-ion cells) and an 800V electrical architecture to enable ultra-fast charging, with a stated 10%-to-80% refill time of 24 minutes on a DC fast charger.
Despite being built on different platforms, the GLC EQ shares design elements with its internal-combustion-engine sibling the GLC, Mercedes’ best-selling model globally and overall representing a step away from the egg-like aesthetic seen in the EQS and EQE models. The two GLCs front fascias are similar, however the GLC EQ gets an optional grille with a 942-dot matrix pattern.
Dimensionally, the GLC EQ is 5 ins. (127 mm) longer than its gas-engine-only stablemate.
Inside, the GLC EQ can be fitted with Mercedes’ optional pillar-to-pillar Hyperscreen, so named for its large size of 39.1 ins. (99 cm).
The standard display setup for midgrade models in the new all-electric CUV is two 14-in. (36-cm) display screens, one for infotainment and the other a passenger screen, as well as 10.25-in. (26-cm) cluster display.
Mercedes’ MB.OS operating system with AI enhancement in the GLC EQ features facial recognition and Microsoft Teams videoconferencing.
Further interior wow is set to be provided by polymer-dispersed, liquid-crystal technology in the switchable panoramic glass roof that can be made semi-opaque, or feature 162 3-pointed stars. Interior seating surfaces are leather or vegan, aka synthetic leather; the latter is certified by The Vegan Society to not contain any animal-derived materials, including adhesives.
Volkswagen ID. Cross Concept
Meanwhile, Volkswagen uses its Munich stage to reveal the 208-hp ID. Cross concept, signaling the upcoming ID.2 BEV slotting in below the ID.4, but also three other compact BEVs VW plans to launch starting next year.
The ID. Cross CUV, estimated to achieve 260 miles (420 km) on the WLTP cycle, wears Urban Jungle green paint and is described as having “powerful surfaces…that are pure and clear,” the automaker says in a statement about its design cues. VW is attempting a move away from unique aesthetics for BEVs, as it plans to make them look more like models in its ICE -vehicle lineup.
A smiling face is a feature of the concept vehicle, thanks to a 3-D light signature and graphics. “Charismatic C-pillars” and a straight window line are other exterior design elements found on the concept.
The interior is spacious for the car’s compact size, VW claims, and has many fabric-covered surfaces, with a warm-beige Vanilla Chai color scheme transformed into a lounge-like oasis via preconfigured light, sound and climate modes.
Real plants in the “visually floating” center console, as well as plant motifs on screens, “enhance the feel-good effect,” the automaker says.
The concept’s seats fold completely down to create a VW Bus-like reclining area, and it has two display screens of 11 ins. (28 cm) and 13 ins. (33 cm) in size, arranged on a visual axis.
A change noted in photos is a move away from current VW BEVs’ sparse switchgear, with four dedicated switches on the ID. Cross concept’s driver door in lieu of the ID.4’s dual-purpose controls.
The ID. Cross concept’s MEB+ platform will get improved software next year, which VW says will bring “noticeable functional enhancements of many systems for our customers.”
Pricing is not announced for either the GLC EQ or ID.2, but VW promises “affordable” pricing for its upcoming compact BEVs.
