Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric: bookings open, 650+ EOIs in, ahead of the 4 November India launch

Mercedes-Benz India has opened Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the GLC Electric and logged more than 650 of them within 36 hours of the registration window opening on 5 October 2026, the company said in a statement. The locally built electric SUV makes its official India debut on 4 November, with the first deliveries expected from mid-November. Mercedes has not announced a price; reports since late September have consistently pointed to an expected ex-showroom range of ₹80 lakh to ₹90 lakh.

What happened

The GLC Electric arrives in India as the GLC 400 4Matic, built on Mercedes-Benz's next-generation electric-vehicle architecture and assembled locally at the company's Chakan plant near Pune. Mercedes calls it the first SUV it has produced in India on this new EV platform, and says the roughly six-month gap between the car's European on-sale date and its India debut makes it the fastest any global Mercedes-Benz model has reached India as a locally assembled vehicle.

Internationally, the 400 4Matic pairs a 94kWh battery with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup producing a combined 490hp and 800Nm, enough for a claimed 0-100kph in 4.3 seconds despite a kerb weight of around 2.5 tonnes. Mercedes quotes a WLTP range of up to 715km and DC fast charging at up to 330kW, which it says can add roughly 300km of range in ten minutes. Dated coverage from late October adds a 39.1-inch tri-screen display — which Mercedes' own marketing for this generation of EVs calls the MBUX Superscreen — spanning the driver's instrument panel, the central infotainment screen and a dedicated passenger display, alongside multi-way front seats with heating, ventilation and massage, a glass skyroof, 64-colour ambient lighting and a Burmester 4D sound system. None of these figures have yet been confirmed as India-homologated numbers; Mercedes typically finalises variant-specific details closer to the launch event itself.

Registrations opened on 5 October through Mercedes-Benz's authorised franchise partners and its own website, and the company says it will keep accepting EOIs for later production batches even after the 4 November launch. Mercedes-Benz India vice-president of sales and marketing Brendon Sissing said the 650-plus response in the first 36 hours "paves the way for Electric GLC becoming one of the most successful Mercedes-Benz in India at launch," calling it evidence of the brand's pivot toward luxury EV buyers. An EOI is a registration of interest with a token commitment, not a confirmed sale, and Mercedes has not disclosed how many of the 650-plus have since converted to firm bookings against a price.

What it means for an Indian buyer

Three things are still open as of this run: the final India price, the exact homologated range and efficiency figures, and whether the car qualifies for any state-level EV incentives (most state EV subsidy caps in India sit well below a ₹80–90 lakh car, so buyers should not assume one applies). What is confirmed is the launch date, the India-made status, and the rough price band — enough for a serious buyer to start comparing, but not enough to sign a firm order against a number Mercedes hasn't published.

Local assembly at Chakan matters for the price conversation specifically: a CKD-assembled car typically carries a meaningfully lower duty burden than one imported as a completely built unit, which is part of why multiple outlets expect the GLC Electric to land keener than its size, power and battery would suggest for a fully imported Mercedes EV. Its most direct future rival, the BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, isn't due in India until 2027, so for now the GLC Electric's real cross-shopping set is Mercedes' own EQ range (EQS SUV, EQB) and premium EVs from BMW and Audi already on sale, most of which it should range-top on quoted range and charging speed if the WLTP figures hold up on an India test.

If you've registered an EOI, the practical next step is simple: wait for the 4 November price announcement before converting to a paid booking, and ask your dealer in writing whether your EOI slot locks in launch-day pricing or a later one, since Mercedes has taken three rounds of price increases across its India portfolio already this year on cost pressure alone.

The Auto Grid angle

A locally assembled, freshly painted SUV heading straight from a Chakan transporter into a festive-season delivery queue is exactly the scenario where paint protection matters most in the first weeks of ownership — factory clear coat takes time to fully cure, and a car this size, with a glass skyroof and large flush door handles, picks up swirl marks and stone chips from panel-wash routines and gravel aprons before most owners even think about it. The GLC Electric's single-speed EV drivetrain also means near-silent, high-torque pull-away from every signal, which in Hyderabad's stop-start traffic translates into more low-speed contact risk at the front bumper and leading door edges than a comparable petrol GLC sees. We'd point an incoming owner at the bonnet, bumper, mirror caps and front fender arches first, before the first highway run to the delivery address.

Rivals and what comes next

Mercedes' own GLC 300 4Matic petrol and GLC 220d 4Matic diesel remain on sale alongside the new EV, giving buyers a three-way powertrain choice under one nameplate. The BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase is the closest confirmed future direct rival but isn't due until 2027, leaving the GLC Electric to compete most immediately against Mercedes' own EQS SUV and EQB, and against Audi and BMW's existing premium EVs on sale today. We'll update this story once Mercedes-Benz announces the India price at the 4 November event.