The new electric Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV will spawn an AMG-badged flagship next year that will be one of the most powerful models to have come out of Affalterbach.
While related to the electric SUV unveiled at September's Munich motor show, the new AMG GLC will represent a significant technical departure from that car. It will draw heavily on the AMG.EA drivetrain first revealed by the record-breaking 1341bhp GT XX research prototype.
The SUV will use three axial-flux motors – one on the front axle and a further two at the rear – to achieve an output that will push beyond 900bhp and almost double that of the standard car's 489bhp. This positions it as a direct rival to the incoming Porsche Cayenne Turbo, which is set to deliver up to 980bhp with launch control enabled.
When it arrives, it will be the third-most-powerful AMG model to date and the most powerful AMG SUV – although it will be superseded by the BMW XM-rivalling 1000bhp GT SUV that is scheduled to arrive in 2027.
Sources have told Autocar that AMG is targeting a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0sec and a governed top speed of 155mph.
Crucial to the potent GLC's heady reserves is AMG's latest battery technology. It eschews the prismatic cells used by standard versions of the GLC EQ in favour of new cylindrical cells. These are claimed to offer superior power density and thermal characteristics to the prismatic cells used by the standard car.
The 800V battery pack of AMG's new electric-powered SUV is also set to feature a direct cooling system where coolant flows around each individual cylindrical cell to help maintain an optimal operating temperature.
AMG sources say the new thermal battery management is essential for sustaining the high discharge rates needed to power the triple-motor set-up , while also enabling consistent 400kW charging capability—a 70kW increase over the standard model.
The advanced cooling is claimed to allow for rapid heat dissipation during track use, addressing a key limitation of existing performance-focused electric cars.
The GLC flagship is also set to adopt a simulated gearshift mode similar to that used by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and a sound simulator conceived to provide the blare of a V8.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Do we really need large family cars capable of 1g acceleration - and no doubt able to discharge their oversized batteries in record time if such performance is regularly used? Such cars used to be smooth and comfortable, but this one is capable of extreme violence to the benefit of going nowhere fast for no good reason other than to likely terrorise its occupants. Surely it's time for common sense to prevail and makers such as Mercedes ought to have more ambition other than pursuing a needless horsepower race. If going fast is a priority, surely something smaller, lighter and more wields would be much more appropriate?
Totally ridiculous and pointless.