Mercedes-Benz has commenced local assembly of the all-electric GLC using imported knocked-down (CKD) kits at its Chakan facility in Maharashtra, Electrive reported. The Indian plant has become the second overseas assembly location for the model after Thailand’s Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant (TAAP) and the fourth production site globally.
In India, the German automaker is assembling only the range-topping GLC 400 4MATIC variant. The model was launched immediately after production began and is available exclusively in the AMG Line trim, priced at Rs 78.5 lakh (approximately €73,800).
Notably, the electric GLC is priced just around 2% higher than the entry-level petrol-powered GLC, which starts at Rs 77 lakh (around €72,400). Introduced in 2016, the combustion-engine variant is subject to a 40% Goods and Services Tax (GST); the electric GLC, built on Mercedes-Benz’s MB.EA-M platform, benefits from a significantly lower 5% GST rate. This tax advantage has enabled Mercedes-Benz to position the EV competitively against its gasoline-powered counterpart.
At the launch event, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer said deliveries of the electric GLC are expected to begin on November 8 this year. The company has already secured more than 1,000 bookings for the new electric SUV.
“This car is sold out till March of 27, and now I’m requesting my board and colleagues back in Stuttgart to get us more cars, more kits, so that we can produce more here,” Iyer said.
The event was also attended by senior global executives, including Mercedes-Benz Supervisory Board Chairman Martin Brudermüller and CEO Ola Källenius. Källenius noted that the GLC is the brand’s best-selling model globally and has recorded sales of more than 22,000 units in India over the past decade. He added that the electric version had received over 550 pre-bookings within its first 36 hours in the country, marking a new booking record for Mercedes-Benz India.
The electric GLC 400 4MATIC is equipped with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, featuring one motor on each axle and delivering a combined output of 360 kW and 800 Nm of torque. The SUV accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and has an electronically governed top speed of 210 km/h. Power comes from a 94 kWh battery pack that supports DC fast charging at up to 330 kW. The model offers a WLTP-certified driving range of 711 km, which has also been certified by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
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