Mercedes-Benz Launches All-Electric GLC in China, Gold Edition at RMB 339,800

On July 8, the all-new Mercedes-Benz all-electric GLC SUV officially entered the Chinese market. The new model is available in three variants, with the Gold Edition officially launched at RMB 339,800. The Silver Edition and Star Platinum Edition are now available for pre-order at RMB 299,900 and RMB 388,800, respectively. Built on Mercedes-Benz's dedicated MB. EA electric architecture, the vehicle is the opening salvo of the brand's second-half product offensive and a key product milestone in the company's 140th year in China.

In the first half of 2026, the domestic auto market faced multiple pressures including model cycle transitions, energy price fluctuations, and wait-and-see consumer sentiment, intensifying price competition in the luxury segment. Mercedes-Benz delivered over 110,000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in China in the second quarter, continuing to lead the core luxury market above RMB 400,000 and the high-end luxury market above RMB 1 million. In the first half, the long-wheelbase GLC SUV ranked first in sales among its BBA peers in the same segment and topped the May ranking for retained value among joint-venture luxury mid-size SUVs. Beijing Benz's vehicle manufacturing system retained the top spot in the three-year retained value ranking for joint-venture manufacturers in 2025. In the high-end luxury market, the AMG brand maintained the top sales position for high-performance luxury models in China, while the S-Class family (including the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class) continued to lead sales in the million-yuan luxury sedan segment. High-end models such as the Maybach GLS SUV and the AMG GLC 43 4MATIC achieved double-digit year-on-year sales growth.

In terms of electrification, Mercedes-Benz passenger car pure electric vehicle sales grew 51% year-on-year in the second quarter, and the group's cumulative electric vehicle sales in the first half increased 28% year-on-year. The new all-electric GLC offers a maximum CLTC range of 703 km, with a 10-minute fast charge adding approximately 300 km of range. It comes standard with a class-exclusive two-speed electric transmission and a four-wheel-drive disconnect device. The vehicle underwent nearly 5 million kilometers of road durability testing and more than 230 real-vehicle crash safety validations. The battery uses a CTM integrated packaging structure, and after 100,000 kilometers of durability disassembly testing, battery health remained at 93%. The launch is accompanied by comprehensive purchase incentives of up to RMB 50,000 (for the Gold Edition), including free supercharging credits, intelligent driving service packages, financial subsidies, and original factory configuration upgrades.

Mercedes-Benz has clearly defined its core strategy of equal intelligence for both electric and fuel vehicles, planning to gradually cover the majority of its product portfolio with AI-powered intelligent cockpits and urban and highway navigation-assisted driving within the next 6 to 12 months. In terms of second-half product planning, the fuel vehicle track will introduce new-generation S-Class, Maybach S-Class, and domestically produced long-wheelbase GLE large flagship models, all equipped with efficient large-displacement powertrains, localized AI intelligent cockpits, and full-domain navigation-assisted driving systems. On the pure electric track, in addition to the continued delivery of the all-electric GLC, the all-electric VLE model based on a new MPV architecture will also be launched within the year. In intelligent driving technology, urban navigation-assisted driving has been fully activated nationwide in the second quarter. The full-link 'parking space to parking space' navigation capability will be implemented within the year, prioritizing flagship models such as the new-generation S-Class, Maybach S-Class, and domestically produced long-wheelbase GLE SUV. The industry-leading 'reinforcement learning + world model' will achieve the first mass production of 'physical AI' technology within the year, and delivered owners can upgrade via OTA for free. The intelligent driving system co-developed with Momenta adheres to the 'human-machine co-driving' safety logic.

The new all-electric GLC is equipped with a localized virtual assistant integrating the Doubao large model, and adds a 'Little Ben' image, supporting multi-dialect voice recognition interaction. The entire intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving solution was developed by a local Chinese R&D team. Mercedes-Benz has built the most complete R&D matrix outside of Germany in China, with a local R&D team of over 2,000 people. The rear-seat high-end in-vehicle entertainment system previously developed by the Chinese R&D team has been reverse-loaded into Mercedes-Benz models globally. In terms of channels, the 'smart badge' digital tool has covered more than 80% of dealer stores nationwide, with plans to achieve full network coverage within 2026. The customer service AI tool CS AI Copilot was fully deployed nationwide at the end of June. The '140 Years of Innovation Journey' global tour has covered 10 cities in China. The 'Mercedes-Benz 140-Year Brand Exhibition' and the new Mercedes-Benz brand experience space will land in Shanghai in the autumn.