2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4MATIC Electric Priced for Australia: $112,200, 630km WLTP, Launch Edition Undercuts by $2,200

Image credit: Mercedes-Benz Australia

Mercedes-Benz Australia has locked in local pricing on the first-ever electric GLC, and it lands right where BMW just planted its iX3 50 xDrive. The GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology is $112,200 before on-road costs as a standard car, with a limited Launch Edition pegged at $110,000 that brings no extra kit but a slightly softer entry price. Order books are open at Australian dealers now, first customer deliveries begin in October 2026. If you have been waiting for a mid-size premium electric SUV that can actually tow a Jayco Silverline caravan and cover 600-plus kilometres between stops, this is the one that finally shows up on the shopping list.

A few things stand out even before you dig into the spec sheet. The GLC 400 electric rides on Mercedes new MB.EA-M dedicated electric platform, so the 94.4kWh battery lives properly under the floor, the wheelbase stretches to 2,972mm and the boot goes up to 570 litres with a proper 128-litre front boot on top. The 800-volt electrical architecture is not just a badge either. Peak DC charging of 330kW is genuine 5C territory, on par with the XPeng G6 that costs half as much, and well ahead of the 250kW cars Audi and Volvo are still selling in this bracket.

Pricing (before on-road costs)

There is only one electric GLC variant at launch. A cheaper single-motor version is likely to follow in 2027, in the same way BMW added the rear-drive iX3 40 after the iX3 50 xDrive. Metallic paint is standard, which is a small win for the sticker price.

Battery, Motor and Charging

A quick note on how the drivetrain actually works, because it matters for real-world efficiency. The rear motor does the day-to-day driving, coupled through a proper two-speed transmission for both punchy acceleration and relaxed highway cruising. The front motor stays disengaged until the car needs the extra grip or the extra power, then it clicks in. That is the same trick the Audi Q6 e-tron and updated Polestar 3 use, and it is a big part of how a 2,535kg SUV manages 630km of WLTP range.

Dimensions and Practicality

The electric GLC is 155mm longer than the current combustion GLC and rides on a wheelbase that is 84mm longer, which is where the extra rear legroom lives. The 570-litre boot is 20 litres up on the combustion car, but the real gain is the frunk. That is genuinely useful for stashing charging cables, so the boot floor stays flat, and it is a nice feature the BMW iX3 does not match, its frunk is just 58 litres.

Standard Equipment

Single variant means everything is standard. The centrepiece is the MBUX Superscreen, a single glass surface that houses a 10.3-inch digital driver display, a 14-inch central touchscreen and a 14-inch front-passenger touchscreen. It runs the new MB.OS operating system with over-the-air updates. Ambient lighting is standard as are Digital Light headlights with adaptive high beam, a head-up display, wireless charging and Burmester audio.

The cabin is fitted with Artico synthetic leather on the seats and steering wheel, brown open-pore birch wood trim, the AMG Line and AMG Line Sport Seat packages, heated front seats with memory, a panoramic glass roof and heat and noise-insulating glass with rear privacy. Wheels are 21-inch AMG alloys, and Night Styling with high-gloss black exterior accents plus a dark chrome grille is part of the standard AMG Line specification. Metallic paint is included, which is a rarity at any German price point.

A new TERRAIN MODE driving programme joins the usual drive modes for gravel and field roads. That is Mercedes making it clear the electric GLC is meant to work as a family SUV, not just a city car, and it dovetails with the higher-than-average tow rating.

Safety

The electric GLC has not yet been assessed by ANCAP. It sits on a different platform to the combustion GLC, so the current five-star (2022 protocol) rating on the combustion car does not carry across automatically. Expect a rating during 2027 under the tougher 2026-2028 Stages of Safety framework that the BMW iX3 was the first to clear.

Standard safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking with intersection assist, adaptive cruise control with lane centring, blind-spot monitor with active steering intervention, evasive steering assist, rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, driver attention monitor, tyre pressure monitoring and Mercedes new front-centre airbag between the front occupants. Traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed assist are part of the Driving Assistance Package which is standard on the Australian car.

How It Compares

The GLC 400 electric lands $2,300 above the AWD BMW iX3 50 xDrive on the standard sticker, or $100 cheaper if you get the Launch Edition. It undercuts the equivalent Polestar 3 dual-motor by roughly $19,000, and it is a full $10,300 under the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro. WLTP range is within 5km of the BMW and comfortably ahead of the Audi. On charging speed, only the Polestar beats it, and only by 20kW peak. That is a very tight three-way race, and the choice really comes down to what your head and your driveway prefer.

Warranty and Servicing

Mercedes-Benz Australia covers the electric GLC with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km high-voltage battery warranty. That is identical to what BMW offers on the iX3 and matches most of the premium electric SUV set. Service intervals sit at every 25,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first, on the electric GLC. Mercedes has not yet published capped-price service costs for the electric variant, and history suggests they will land higher than the BMW iX3 equivalent, so build that into your running-cost maths.

The CarSorted Take

Look at this from a CarSorted side-by-side compare and the interesting number is not the sticker price, it is the tow rating divided by the range. The GLC 400 electric is the only car in this bracket that will pull a 2.4-tonne caravan and give you real 600-plus kilometre range legs on a road trip. In our database the closest thing to it on that combined test is the Polestar 3 Dual Motor at 604km WLTP and a 2,200kg braked rating, and the Polestar wants an extra $19,000 to do it. The BMW iX3 50 xDrive matches the range for a $2,300 discount but tops out at 2,000kg braked, so it is off the shortlist for anyone with a proper camper trailer.

The bigger CarSorted lens is running cost. At $112,200 before on-roads the GLC 400 electric sits above the current $91,387 fuel-efficient LCT threshold, which means a novated lease does not get the federal FBT exemption today. A three-year novated lease on the identical BMW iX3 50 xDrive at $109,900 has the same problem, so it is not a Mercedes-only issue in this bracket. The interesting change is on the horizon: the fuel-efficient LCT threshold is scheduled to rise to $120,000 from 1 July 2027, and at that level both the GLC and the iX3 slip into FBT-exempt territory, closing the effective annual running-cost gap to a diesel Audi Q6 equivalent by roughly $6,000 to $8,000 a year for higher-income salary packagers. If your lease timing lines up with the 2027 change, that is the number that actually moves the buying decision.

What This Means for Buyers

If you are cross-shopping a premium mid-size electric SUV with a real premium interior, the choice on the shortlist just got harder. The BMW iX3 50 xDrive at $109,900 is the value pick, the same WLTP range and a slightly more focused driver-first cabin. The Mercedes GLC 400 4MATIC electric at $112,200 is the sensible middle, and it is the one to take if you need real tow rating, the biggest boot in the class or you already sit inside a Mercedes ecosystem. The Polestar 3 Rear Motor at $116,700 is the design-forward pick with the fastest charging peak, but you give up 26km of WLTP range and roughly two seconds of 0 to 100.

For anyone still deciding between the electric GLC and the plug-in hybrid GLC 350e, the maths is more nuanced. The 350e is roughly $30,000 cheaper, keeps a petrol engine for country trips and gets around 100km of electric-only range for daily commuting. If you cannot plug in nightly, or you cover more than 300km a day on regular business trips, the PHEV still makes more sense. If your daily runs sit inside 200km and you can charge at home overnight on a wallbox, the electric GLC 400 will be significantly cheaper to run over a five-year hold. Run the numbers against your actual driving on our compare tool before signing.

Deliveries begin in October 2026, which puts the electric GLC in showrooms slightly ahead of the BMW iX3 40 rear-drive and comfortably ahead of the Audi Q6 e-tron facelift. The Launch Edition price of $110,000 will be worth grabbing while it lasts, since it is a $2,200 saving for effectively the same car.

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