This is why the new electric GLC Mercedes will not leave anyone indifferent

In the family of great symbolic reinventions, Mercedes-Benz has just checked a box with high heritage value: the grille.

It is not a simple restyling or a fad of designer in need of inspiration. It is a voluntary reinterpretation of a fundamental element of the brand’s identity with the star, applied for the first time on a model of large series, the brand new electric GLC, whose world presentation is expected for the IAA Munich Munich, in September 2025.

But the teasing has just started and, Mercedes drew a first salvo: the grille.

The revisited icon

No AMG grille, no pan -American grid or free aggressiveness. Here, Mercedes plays the symbol card. And this is anything but a coincidence that this new visual signature is directly inspired by the imposing verticality of the Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) models of 1963 from, Mercedes-Benz 200 D and 280 e (W114 and W115) from 1968 or the 300 SEL (W109) from 1965.

We also think of the majestic 600 Pullman, where the chrome grid immediately imposed respect: by its height, its simplicity, its quiet authority.

The new electric GLC takes up this genetics, with a grille much more stretched vertically than on the current thermal generation.

The structure is dressed in a smoked glass mesh, circulated by a large chrome frame that anchors everything in an aesthetic halfway between statutory nostalgia and minimalist modernity. The objective is clear: to reconnect with the brand’s visual foundations while assuming the transition to electric and digital.

942 LED to illuminate the past

But where Mercedes pushes the cursor, it is with the introduction (optional) of a complete backlight of the grille. No less than 942 light points are scattered behind the grid, capable of generating an animated “pixel” effect. The outline, as well as the central star, can also be illuminated, in a spirit that some will judge spectacular, others … excessive.

We are clearly in a new era where the electric car becomes a visual staging medium. Tesla had paved the way with the Lightshows like Sons and Lights. Mercedes seems to want to respond with a more sober approach, but just as demonstrative.

Here is the evolution of Mercedes calenders from the 60s to the 80s.

This luminous grille nevertheless raises questions. What is the point of lightning a grid without radiator behind? But in an increasingly competitive segment, visual identity remains a powerful lever. And at Mercedes, the heritage is a great marketing opportunity to rekindle memories and make customers want.

My opinion on this grille

The vertical silhouette of this new grille immediately spoke to me. She evokes something deeply Mercedes, an elegant form of classicism that we had lost a little in the race for dynamism of the last models. This return to an almost “standing” front face, very 1960s, seems to me to be a great idea. It changes the gaping mouths of the AMG versions or interchangeable sports gates.

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On the other hand, I am shared on the backlight. Yes, it’s an option. Yes, it’s probably stunning in a rear view mirror at nightfall. And yes, the lighting of the logo and the frame has a real charm. But 942 LEDs, with pixelated animation? We are not very far from debauchery. A luminous work of art, Mercedes tells us. Why not. But provided that the object remains readable, coherent, and above all … not ridiculous in a few years. History will judge.

And the electric GLC in all this?

It will now be necessary to wait until the beginning of September before knowing more about 100 % electric GLC. But we have already had the right to some crisp information as we relate in a previous article: more than 650 km of autonomy, an ultra-fast recharge, pneumatic suspensions worthy of an S class and the capacity to tow 2.5 tonnes.

Go to Munich!