The Mercedes-Benz GLC has been one of the marque’s defining success stories for years. Now, as Mercedes-Benz continues its move into the electric era, the latest version of the GLC has received one of Germany’s notable automotive honours.

The new electric Mercedes-Benz GLC has been named the “German Premium Car of the Year 2027.”

The award was presented at the National Automobile Museum “The Loh Collection” in Dietzhölztal-Ewersbach, where the jury of the German Car of the Year Awards recognised the electric GLC for what it described as an exceptionally well-balanced overall concept, together with its comfort and driving characteristics.

The recognition also continues a significant story for the GLC nameplate. Mercedes-Benz describes the GLC as its worldwide best-selling model line, and the new electric version has been developed to carry those established qualities into a fully electric format.

A GLC built for the electric age

Mercedes-Benz has given the electric GLC its own design language while placing greater emphasis on digital interaction and everyday usability.

The company says the vehicle was developed around customer requirements, combining long-distance comfort with practicality and an intuitive user experience.

Inside, there is also a considerable technological shift.

The optional MBUX Hyperscreen measures 99.3 centimetres, making it the largest display Mercedes-Benz has offered. It is powered by the company’s MB.OS operating system, bringing infotainment, comfort functions, charging and driver assistance together through a connected digital architecture.

The system also supports regular over-the-air updates through the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud.

Comfort meets agility

The electric GLC isn’t being positioned solely as a technology showcase.

Mercedes-Benz has equipped the model with available AIRMATIC intelligent air suspension and 4.5-degree rear-axle steering, technologies designed to combine ride comfort with agility.

Practicality remains a significant part of the package as well.

The vehicle offers a 128-litre front trunk, while its maximum towing capacity reaches 2.4 tonnes, giving the electric SUV capabilities extending beyond the daily commute.

Driver assistance is integrated through the MB.DRIVE system. Standard equipment includes DISTRONIC distance assistance and a parking assistant, while optional packages extend the vehicle’s capabilities to supported automated driving at SAE Level 2 and a 360-degree camera view for parking.

What the jury saw

The German Premium Car of the Year award is decided by a jury consisting of German automotive journalists, specialist content creators and international jurors. Since 2026, a selected group of guest jurors has also joined the panel.

The jury tests and evaluates new vehicles available on the European market, considering them both within their respective categories and in an overall comparison.

For Mercedes-Benz, the recognition is therefore another endorsement of the direction it has taken with the electric GLC.

David Perdomo Hollatz, Chairman of the Management Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales Germany, said the company views premium as a combination of comfort, safety, everyday usability and the feeling of being at home in a Mercedes-Benz.

The electric GLC, he said, reflects that approach.

140 years of innovation

The award arrives during a particularly significant year for Mercedes-Benz.

The company is celebrating 140 years of innovation, tracing its history back to Carl Benz’s patent for the first automobile and Gottlieb Daimler’s motor carriage.

To mark the anniversary, Mercedes-Benz is sending three new S-Class saloons on a transcontinental journey to 140 destinations across six continents. The “140 Years. 140 Places” tour is scheduled to continue through October.

The electric GLC therefore arrives at an interesting point in the company’s history.

Mercedes-Benz is looking backward at 140 years of automotive invention while simultaneously using the GLC to look forward — toward an automotive landscape increasingly shaped by electrification, software and connected technology.

For a model line that has already become a global bestseller, the next chapter is now electric.

And if the German Premium Car of the Year 2027 award is any indication, Mercedes-Benz believes the GLC has carried much of what made the nameplate successful into that new era.