Mercedes unveiled an eye-catching chrome grille design for its next generation of EVs ahead of the Munich motor show in September.
The fully-electric GLC SUV will be the first vehicle to feature the new front end when it debuts at the Bavarian event.
New Design Direction
The GLC serves as a successor to the EQC. It’ll sit alongside the gas-powered version as the first of 15 all-new or updated Mercedes EVs scheduled to hit the market over the next two years.
The GLC also marks a significant shift – it’s the first Mercedes EV that won’t wear the dedicated ‘E’ prefix as the company abandons dedicated model names for its electric vehicles.
Mercedes says the grille design reflects the brand’s traditional taller, upright unit rather than the downward-curved appearance of models like the EQE and EQS EVs.
Technical Details
Since EVs don’t require cooling, Mercedes reverted to the upright unit – but reinvented it as an illuminated panel.
The GLC version features chrome front perforated with 942 holes.
Behind the panel are more than 100 LEDs that illuminate the grille in customizable ways. The setup’s similar to the latest BMW iX or the previous Skoda Enyaq with its ‘Crystal Face’ feature.
The Mercedes three-pointed star is also illuminated, though the extent will depend on local regulations.
Brand Identity Strategy
Mercedes chief Ola Källenius said the new grille design would allow Mercedes to maintain its identity “in current times with 100-plus Chinese firms” and others entering the EV market at a rapid rate.
Källenius added that returning to a more traditional aesthetic will allow the Stuttgart carmaker to return to “the calling card of Mercedes, the unmistakeable Mercedesness” into the future.
As Mercedes seeks to merge the aesthetic of its EV and gas-powered offerings, it’s also set to update the appearance of its combustion models in coming years with the new grille – adapted to their design language.
