The electric one Mercedes-Benz C-Class has already been spied ahead of its expected unveiling later this year as a competitor to the upcoming BMW i3 with a claimed range of up to 800km.
The C-Class electric vehicle (EV) will officially be called “C-Class with EQ Technology,” following the naming strategy used for the GLC electric SUV with EQ Technology unveiled at the 2025 Munich Motor Show.
The electric sedan is scheduled to go into production in the second quarter (April to June) of 2026 and will share its 800-volt MB.EA electric base with the BMW iX3 competitor GLC EV.
Like the electric SUV, it has little in common with its combustion engine counterpart.
The latest images show that the C-Class EQ’s “iconic grille,” which was featured in a teaser image released by the automaker in September last year, will remain despite the resignation of long-time design chief Gorden Wagener.
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Mr Wagener’s successor – Bastian Baudy, who comes from Mercedes-AMG – is “setting the course for the next era of its design language”, according to the automaker, as the C-Class EQ is now too close to its final production form for any significant design changes to be made.
The automaker said its previous electric vehicles were too polarizing in their design, with the C-Class EQ moving away from the sweeping EQS and EQE body shapes and instead adopting something more akin to a traditional “three-box” sedan silhouette.
The “iconic grille” is reminiscent of earlier, more formal grilles from Mercedes-Benz and contrasts with the rounded body shape of the C-Class EQ.
Like the GLC EV’s grille, it can be illuminated, but has four horizontal slats, whereas the GLC only has three.
As seen in previous spy images – including from the vehicle’s testing at the Nürburgring in Germany – the C-pillar remains heavily camouflaged behind the rear doors, suggesting that an additional quarter window may be fitted.
Inside, higher-spec versions of the C-Class EQ are expected to feature the 39.1-inch “MBUX Hyperscreen” that spans the entire width of the dashboard, as seen on the GLC EQ and new-generation CLA.
Aside from the claimed 800km range, full details of the C-Class EQ’s powertrain have yet to be revealed, while the GLC EQ gives a hint of what’s on offer under the skin.
The top-spec GLC 400 4Matic EQ features 360kW all-wheel drive with two motors, including a two-speed gearbox for the rear axle and a 94kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery with a claimed WLTP range of 713km.
Lower versions feature a smaller lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and single-motor rear-wheel drive.
The 800-volt architecture of the MB.EA platform supports DC fast charging with outputs of up to 330 kW.
The C-Class EQ will compete with the upcoming BMW i3 electric sedan, which shares its “New Class” underpinnings with the iX3, with both offering a range of up to 800km.
The BMW range will also include an electric M-Performance model with four motors from 2027, while Mercedes-AMG is preparing its own electric models.
MORE: Discover the Mercedes-Benz C-Class showroom
