Mercedes-Benz previewed the new all-electric GLC earlier this month, and now, our spy photographers have snapped a prototype of the AMG version during testing. While it’s still wrapped in that signature camo, there are some key visual differences that set this hotter GLC apart, and some intriguing updates under the skin.

This prototype is covered head-to-toe in white and black camouflage, but there are some notable differences between this AMG GLC and the regular model. The hood looks a little more muscular, and a different set of headlights, although these appear to be temporary units. The lights of the finished product should be very similar, or identical, to the standard GLC.

Read: 2027 Mercedes GLC EV Strips Away Bulky Disguise, Dons Stylish New Slimline Camo Suit

Mercedes-AMG has also fitted the electric SUV with distinctive new wheels, making the whole thing look a little meaner. Much of the rear end has been covered in snow, but there’s a large lip spoiler at the rear – but it’s clearly temporary, and won’t look like this on the finished model.

This all-new Mercedes GLC will replace the EQC and is one of the 17 new electric vehicles that Mercedes has promised to deliver in the coming years. When it hits the market, the GLC will square off with the BMW iX3, which itself is undergoing a complete overhaul for its next generation.

SHProshots

Platform and Charging Power

All new GLC models will ride on Mercedes’ MB.EA platform, a modular electric architecture that can handle 800-volt charging, with a max charge rate of up to 320 kW. This means quicker charging times and more efficiency across the board.

Unlike the outgoing EQC, which never got a full-fledged AMG version, the upcoming GLC EV AMG will bring the power in spades. The EQC’s AMG Line model topped out at 402 hp, but this new AMG variant will likely push over 500 hp, possibly even cresting the 600 hp mark with a pair of potent electric motors.

SHProshots

Mercedes unveiled the redesigned CLA yesterday and new details are starting to emerge about the upcoming AMG variants. In particular, the CLA 45 could return as an electric vehicle packing more than 500 ponies.

While officials were understandably tight-lipped about the upcoming model, Mercedes Chief Technical Officer, Markus Schäfer, told Autocar that they have “established a second pillar when it comes to powertrains – keyword Yasa.” That’s a not so subtle reference to axial flux motors developed by their Yasa subsidiary.

More: Starry But Soulless 2026 Mercedes CLA Leans On AI And Electric Power

Axial flux motors were expected to be used in high-end models, such as the AMG SUV, but they won’t be limited to the crème de la crème. Quite the opposite as Schäfer said they’ll  be “available to us across all model lines.”

Baldauf

Additional details are limited, but the publication suggested the CLA 45 EV could have a tri-motor powertrain with “advanced torque-vectoring properties.” Insiders have also indicated the car could have more than 500 hp (373 kW / 507 PS), which would be a significant increase over the current model’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that develops 416 hp (310 kW / 422 PS). This enables the CLA 45 S to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in four seconds flat.

While the standard model has an 85 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the AMG version will reportedly use an “oil-cooled battery that features unique cylindrical cells and chemistry for greater energy density.” We can also expect an active rear wing as well as a so-called “V8 Mode,” which could replicate the sound of a roaring V8.

Last month, Mercedes-AMG previewed the all-electric super SUV it’s currently working on. This new model is being developed alongside AMG’s first in-house electric sedan, and much like that car, is bound to court controversy. After all, many enthusiasts are accustomed to AMG models with thumping V8 engines, and this is partly why the four-cylinder hybrid C 63 has been a flop. However, the German brand believes electric is the future, and it’s cooking up something rather special.

Prototypes spotted by our spy photographers, along with official images released by Mercedes, were heavily covered in body cladding and camouflage, obscuring most of the design details. However, there’s a chance the EV, which is rumored to receive the GT SUV moniker, will have many similarities to its sedan counterpart that’s tipped to draw inspiration from the 2022 Mercedes Vision AMG Concept.

Read: First Look At Mercedes-AMG’s 1,000 HP Electric SUV Flagship

With this in mind, artist Nikita Chuyko created illustrations for Kolesa based on the test mules and recent renderings of AMG’s Taycan fighter, offering a preview of what the new SUV might look like. If it ends up resembling these images, it will certainly stand out in the Mercedes lineup, though we’re not entirely convinced it’ll be for all the right reasons.

The front of the SUV showcased here is dominated by a faux grille, which is to be expected in an EV, while the headlights are connected by a light bar. They also sport the Three-Pointed Star DRLs coming to a slew of new Mercedes models.

For as interesting as the front of this rendering is, the rear end is even more so. Taking cues from the Vision AMG Concept’s styling, it sports a wraparound LED taillight design, which brings to mind the Kia EV6 – an interesting choice, though one that works better on the Mercedes.

Power, Performance, and Ambition

Moving away from the design, the GT SUV is expected to mirror the size of the 2022 Vision AMG concept, stretching about 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, with a wheelbase pushing over 3 meters (118 inches). That’s a bigger footprint than the gas-guzzling AMG GLE 63, putting it in the same league as the fully electric EQS SUV flagship.

Under the skin, the new AMG electric SUV will be built on the brand’s proprietary AMG.EA platform, featuring an 800-volt electrical system for faster charging and greater efficiency. It will also sport newly developed axial-flux electric motors from the British company Yasa, potentially delivering more than 1,000 hp. That kind of power will make it a serious contender against other electric crossovers like the Lotus Eletre R, which puts out 905 hp.

A release date hasn’t been announced yet, however it’s likely that the production version will debut in 2026, with sales kicking off later that year or early 2027, depending on the market, just ahead of its Porsche K1 rival. In theory, it’s a serious competitor for any luxury electric crossover, but its commercial success depends largely not just on its tech or power figures, but its design as well.

Baldauf for Carscoops

Slower than expected EV sales have forced both Porsche and Mercedes to renew their commitment to combustion powertrains, but that strategy shift won’t prevent the two companies delivering a couple of new electric flagships. And our spy photo team has just snapped AMG’s contender taking part in winter tests ahead of next year’s debut.

AMG released a ‘spy’ shot of its own and a brief video last December, both taken at the company’s test track. But this latest set of images show the electric super-SUV testing for real in northern Europe and give us a better chance to see the EV from multiple angles.

Related: First Look At Mercedes-AMG’s 1,000 HP Electric SUV Flagship

Like Ferrari’s V12-powered Purosangue, the unnamed electric AMG is more of a crossover than an SUV. It has a relatively low roofline, modest ground clearance, narrow glasshouse and a sporty rake to its rear window. Unlike the AMG-badged GLS63, the most expensive SUV in the company’s current lineup, the EV should only have room for two rows of seats.

Every one of the AMG SUVs you can buy today is a pumped-up version of a regular Mercedes product, but this one will be unique to AMG and was developed in-house at Affalterbach. It should measure around 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, and offer plenty of room thanks to a circa-3 m (118 inches) wheelbase.

This prototype has placeholder lights at the rear and the fronts are shielded by camouflage but still give us a glimpse of the star motif DRLs below. It’s possible that rather than being built into a traditional cluster the individual light elements could be set directly into the bodywork, as seen on 2022’s Mercedes Vision AMG concept.

That concept previewed a Porsche Taycan-rivalling successor to the four-door AMG GT which will be built on the same AMG.EA platform as the SUV and share battery and motor tech. Fast charging courtesy of 800-volt electrics means fill-ups will be brief, as will zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) runs if the rumours of more than 1,000 hp (1,014 PS / 746 kW) are true. And we’re sure they are.

Mercedes-AMG could debut the SUV in 2026 with sales starting in 2027, which would potentially put it on the street fractionally ahead of its Porsche K1 rival.

Images: Baldauf