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.

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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.

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Mercedes is previewing the upcoming GLC with EQ Technology by releasing official ‘spy photos’ and a few initial details. The model succeeds the EQC and promises to be a “significant milestone for Mercedes-Benz.”

While the company was coy on specifics, the electric crossover aims to set “new benchmarks in performance, range, efficiency and charging speed, while maintaining … the exceptional versatility and practicality that GLC customers expect.” In order to achieve this, the model has an 800-volt architecture as well as DC fast charging rates in excess of 320 kW. The latter figure is pretty impressive as the Cadillac Optiq maxes out at 150 kW.

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

Besides premium charging technology, the GLC promises to have advanced batteries with a special cell chemistry. The automaker didn’t go into many details, but said the cells “utilize anodes with silicon oxide blended into graphite, achieving exceptionally high gravimetric energy density.” This suggests we can expect relatively small and lightweight batteries that deliver plenty of range.

Mercedes was tight-lipped about performance specifications, but noted the rear drive unit was developed entirely in-house. The company went on to say that all-wheel drive models have a “powerful” front drive unit that can be “swiftly engaged or disengaged” as needed. This should help to increase efficiency, while still providing all-weather traction.

Speaking of efficiency, the GLC with EQ Technology has a new braking system that combines the brake booster, master cylinder, and the electronic stability control system into a compact module that provides a “confident brake pedal feel that delivers precise and consistent feedback.” Besides being smaller, the new system optimizes brake energy recuperation and this helps to extend the crossover’s range.

A heat pump also comes standard and, when it comes to heating the interior, it uses approximately one-third of the energy of a comparable electric heater. Mercedes when on to note it can “simultaneously harness three energy sources: waste heat from the electric-drive unit, waste heat from the battery, and ambient air.” The automaker added it “effectively cools in the summer and heats in the winter.”

Mercedes is getting ready to unleash an army of new cars over the next couple of years, including 17 EVs, and one of the most important is this, the all-new GLC EV. The compact electric SUV is due to launch in 2026, where it will engage in a showroom showdown with BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3, and spy photographers have just spotted it wearing very little camouflage for the first time.

Earlier prototypes of the replacement for today’s EQC featured a brain-scrambling black and white camo wrap under which were hidden various artificial lumps and bumps designed to make it hard for us to imagine how the finished SUV will look.

Related: Mercedes To Roll Out 19 New ICE And 17 EV Models That Will Ditch The Egg Shape By 2027

But these latest images show a more production-ready prototype with none of the disguise blocks on the doors and hood, and a stylish, calming camouflage pattern that looks like wind or running water. Strangely, it also manages to make the front end look a bit like an Acura’s. As our spy photographer says, the SUV seems to be dressed for some teaser photos to be taken, so maybe Mercedes is getting ready to start drip-feeding content like it has with the CLA.

We still can’t see the shape of the window line at the C-pillar, but this new dressed-down test car displays smooth sides, pronounced hips and what appears to be a large traditional-style Mercedes grille that rises above the line of the headlights and creates a bulge in the hood. It looks like Gordon Wagoner and the design team have been looking at Benz’s 1960s sedans and coupes for inspiration.

The brand’s new star-shaped DRLs are evident at the front, and though they’re not illuminated at the back, we’re sure they’ll make an appearance there, too, as they will on the 19 new or facelifted combustion Mercedes cars debuting by 2027.

Unlike models like the revised petrol-power GLE, however, the EQC replacement rides on a very different platform, the new MB.EA architecture. The upcoming electric C-class sedan gets the same gear, but the smaller CLA that debuts this year uses the MMA platform instead.

We’re still expecting commonalities between the two, however, including 800-volt electrics and the ability to handle 320 kW charging, meaning a 10-80 percent fill will take less than 18 minutes. The most efficient models should also be capable of traveling well over 400 miles (644 km) before needing to find one of those chargers.

Images: Baldauf