Not long after, the CLA Shooting Brake wagon will be revealed. It will make its debut in electric form but the petrol variant will follow in late 2025, sharing drivetrains with the CLA saloon.
Another major launch in 2025 will be the followup to Mercedes’ first production EV, the EQC SUV. Its replacement will be an electric version of the second-generation GLC, which is set to headline Mercedes’ display at the Munich motor in September.
The rival to the Audi Q6 E-tron, BMW iX3 and Porsche Macan will feature an 800V electric architecture underpinned by the MB:EA Medium platform shared with the 2026 electric C-Class. Single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configurations will be offered. The electric GLC is due to be available with a choice of lithium-iron-phosphate and NMC batteries. These packs are understood to be good for ranges of around 400 and 500 miles respectively.
Secrecy surrounds the outputs of the new electric SUV, which will be produced at Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa factory in the US. However, sources at AMG’s Affalterbach headquarters have suggested to Autocar that a planned GLE 53 range-topping model could deliver up to 600bhp in combination with uniquely tuned motors and power electronics. This variant is pencilled in to arrive in 2026.
Before the end of 2025, Mercedes will reveal the new GLB. Described as a “massive step up” from the first-generation car, it will be the third model based on the MMA platform. As with the CLA, it will have both electric and petrol drivetrains, targeting the Audi Q3/Q4 and BMW X1/iX1. Both EV and ICE variants will wear the GLB badge, meaning the EQB moniker will disappear.
Test mules show that the new GLB will be slightly longer and wider than today’s model, with more of a focus on interior space and storage. That change has been made possible by the switch to MMA from the older MFA platform.
The significance of the new GLB goes beyond simply replacing the first-generation model launched in 2019. It also serves as the template for Mercedes’ ‘Little G’, which is due in 2027.
