CAR magazine spent two days driving the BMW iX3 and the Mercedes GLC Electric back to back, including a session on the autobahn. Both companies are treating these models as the foundation of their next EV generation: new platforms, new operating systems, new battery architecture. The GLC Electric claims 406 miles of range from a 94 kWh battery, charges at up to 300 kW, produces 483 horsepower, and weighs 2.5 tonnes. The iX3 claims 500 miles from a 108 kWh battery and charges at up to 400 kW. Boot sizes are identical at 520 litres. In real driving across several hundred miles, both averaged around 3.1 miles per kWh, which closes the advertised range gap considerably.
The two cars have taken different paths to get here. Mercedes fitted the GLC Electric with air suspension, adaptive dampers that pre-read road conditions using map data and data shared from other Mercedes vehicles, a two-speed rear gearbox (unusual for an EV, used to help low-speed acceleration and high-speed efficiency), and four-wheel steering that reduces the turning circle to just over 11 metres. The result is an extremely comfortable ride. The 39.1-inch hyperscreen spanning the dashboard is made up of three separate displays including a passenger screen, and it runs on Mercedes' new operating system with Google-based navigation that draws on live public charging data. The GLC's battery uses cylindrical cells in four modular sections, which Mercedes argues makes future repairs cheaper since individual modules can be swapped rather than the whole pack.
BMW went a different direction with the iX3. Conventional springs and dampers rather than air suspension mean the ride is firmer, but the handling is noticeably sharper. The iX3 responds to driver input in a way the GLC does not, with enough feedback through the seat and chassis to modulate cornering lines on the throttle. BMW's interior centres on a 17.9-inch hexagonal touchscreen angled toward the driver, and a panoramic display strip running along the base of the windscreen from pillar to pillar that replaces the traditional dashboard and complements the head-up display. Both cars have ditched traditional CAN bus wiring for faster central computer architecture; BMW claims 600 metres less cabling in the iX3. Both also claim to handle over 97% of braking through regeneration alone.
Bottom line: The GLC Electric is the better car if comfort is the priority, and the iX3 is the better car if you want something that still behaves like a BMW. The fact that the iX3's platform carries directly into the upcoming i3 saloon makes this result matter beyond the SUV segment.