Mercedes drops AWD from the GLC EQ — and the savings buy you a small hatchback

Mercedes-Benz has made the electric GLC noticeably more affordable. In the Netherlands, the price lists now include a GLC EQ 250 version with an 85.5 kWh battery and rear-wheel drive. Depending on the trim, it costs roughly between €62,600 and €63,900, while the GLC EQ 400 4MATIC with the 94 kWh battery starts at around €71,300 to €72,600.

The gap — €8,712 — is real, but the spec sheet doesn’t look stripped down to the bone. The new GLC 250 packs an 85.5 kWh pack and roughly 670 km of WLTP range. For reference, the flagship GLC 400 4MATIC with its 94 kWh battery goes up to 715 km. There is a range hit, but for anyone who doesn’t need all-wheel drive it’s hardly a dealbreaker.

The 250 has a single motor on the rear axle. Output is 354 hp, or 260 kW. That’s less than the 489 hp of the GLC 400 4MATIC, but for a family electric crossover there’s still plenty in reserve. Charging stays at the level of the senior version: the 800-volt architecture allows a 10 to 80 percent top-up in 22 minutes, with the GLC 400’s peak rate quoted at 330 kW.

Later, Mercedes will release another rear-wheel-drive version with the bigger battery — it’s set to become the longest-range model in the lineup. And below it will sit the GLC 200, with a 313 hp motor and a 64 kWh LFP battery. That car will likely slip under €60,000.

Orders for the GLC 250 EQ open next month, with first deliveries arriving closer to year-end. Mercedes is already ramping up GLC EQ output in Bremen on the back of strong demand, and the new version slots neatly into that wave: less of a premium for all-wheel drive, nearly identical charging speeds, and a range that’s good for more than just city duty.