How These New Electric SUVs Compare On Paper

In what must have been thanks to a cosmic alignment of the planets and stars, BMW and Mercedes-Benz both revealed new cars at the 2025 IAA in Munich that are not only new electric versions of each brand’s best-sellers (the X3 and GLC), but almost certainly the most important new models for both brands in decades. The 2026 BMW iX3 marked the debut of the long-awaited Neue Klasse platform, while the 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology is the first model on the new MB.EA architecture. Both usher in new design languages, infotainment systems, powertrains and more, with the promise of long ranges and fast charging too.

The iX3 will reach dealers next summer, with the GLC following in late 2026. Given this fateful joint debut — and the fact that I was there in Munich to check out both cars in person — I thought it apt to look at how the two electric crossovers compare on paper. There isn’t a clear winner, as both SUVs boast impressive specs and have distinctive (and divisive) styling with totally different tech-forward interior approaches.

The iX3 is 188.3 inches long, 1.1 inches longer than the gas X3, while the GLC is 190.7 inches long, exactly 5 inches longer than the gas GLC. The Mercedes’ 117.0-inch wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than the gas model’s and 2.9 inches longer than the BMW’s, which is 1.3 inches longer than its gas equivalent. But the iX3 is slightly lower in height at 64.4 inches compared to the 64.7-inch-tall GLC; the BMW is an inch lower than its predecessor while the Mercedes is actually a tenth of an inch taller. The Mercedes is smoother and sleeker, looking more like an evolution of the brand’s current offerings, while the BMW is angular and more bold. Despite the GLC’s sleeker profile, it’s actually the iX3 that is more aerodynamic — the BMW has a 0.24 drag coefficient versus 0.26 for the Mercedes.

Both cars have futuristic interpretations of each brand’s arguably most iconic grilles, each illuminated in a way that pisses off purists but absolutely delights me. The BMW marks a return to small, skinny kidneys that are separate from each other, and in a nod to the original Neue Klasse models and fan favorites like the E30 3 Series, the kidneys are flanked by black wing panels that have slanted running lights at the corners. Mercedes is calling back to the ’60s eggcrate grilles with a huge silver (or dark chrome) panel with a smoked glass “mesh” look that is available with 942 backlit polycarbonate dots, plus an illuminated surround and star. Both of these design languages will be used for pretty much every new model from the two automakers.

So far BMW has only released details on the dual-motor all-wheel-drive iX3 50 xDrive model that will be the first to go on sale next summer, but it has said a lower-end 40 xDrive and rear-wheel-drive 40 sDrive will arrive in early 2027. Mercedes has released specs for both the RWD GLC300+ and the AWD GLC400 4Matic; as the GLC400 will be available first and is the closer analogue to the iX3 50, it’s what we’ll focus on here.

The GLC400 makes 483 horsepower and 596 pound-feet of torque, while the iX3 50 is slightly less powerful at 463 hp and 476 lb-ft. Mercedes says the GLC400 will hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, with BMW’s estimate for the iX3 being three tenths slower. Both have a top speed of 130 mph. The BMW will be able to tow up to 4,400 pounds, but the Benz can tow up to 5,291 pounds. If you want air suspension or rear-wheel steering, you’ll have to get the GLC as it’s the only one of the two that offers either.

The Mercedes might have more power, but the BMW’s got the juice. The GLC has a 94-kWh battery pack while the iX3’s is 108.7 kWh; both are lithium-ion units with 800-volt architectures. The Mercedes can DC fast-charge at up to 330 kW, going from 10%-80% in less than 24 minutes, but the BMW can accept up to 400 kW of charging power and will go from 10%-80% in 21 minutes. BMW says the iX3 can gain 230 EPA miles back in just 10 minutes, while the Mercedes will only get back 188 European WLTP miles in the same amount of time. The iX3 is probably going to end up with the longer ranges, too. BMW claims up to a 400-mile EPA range, and while we don’t have U.S. estimates yet, Mercedes says the GLC has a 433-mile WLTP range, which should end up at around 375-400 miles in the U.S. cycle.

The iX3 debuts BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive, with a rhombus-shaped 17.9-inch central touchscreen and the configurable Panoramic Vision display that runs across the bottom of the windshield. In the GLC, no matter which of the three available screen setups you get there are three displays across the whole width of the dashboard, but the star of the show is the optional MBUX Hyperscreen, a totally seamless 39.1-inch display that looks fantastic. Each car has an extremely advanced hardware and software stack that controls basically everything, from the infotainment to the powertrain, all of which can get over-the-air updates. The Mercedes has some fancier trim elements than the BMW, but the iX3’s design is more forward-thinking. Material and build quality in both cars seems excellent and a step up from the outgoing ICE models, and they’re both available with all sorts of luxury and driver-assist features — the BMW is currently the only one with hands-free Level 2 driving, though.

Only Mercedes has given passenger space specs so far; the GLC has 0.5 inches more legroom up front and 1.9 inches in the rear, and headroom is increased by 1.8 inches up the front and 0.6 inches in back. We do know that the iX3 has 30.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, beating the GLC 10.3 cubes, and the BMW offers 65 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, also beating the Benz’s 61.4 cubic feet. The Mercedes wins the frunk battle, though, with 4.5 cubic feet under the hood versus 2.0 cubic feet in the BMW.

BMW says the iX3 50 xDrive will arrive at dealers next summer with a starting price of under $60,000, which would be an extremely impressive accomplishment especially for a car not built in the U.S. — though the Spartanburg plant should start building Neue Klasse EVs in 2027. The cheaper iX3 40 models will arrive in early 2027 for under $55,000. Mercedes hasn’t priced the GLC EV yet, but given the current-gen GLC350e plug-in hybrid starts at just over $61,000 and the cheapest EQE SUV is almost $67,000, I’m guessing the GLC EV will be priced in the low $60,000 range to start.