New Mercedes GLC Plays A Game Of Spot The Digital Updates

Even if a brand-new electric-only GLC exists, which is called the GLC with EQ Technology, Mercedes wisely believes that there is still plenty of life left in the current combustion-powered model, which is in its second generation.
 

The premium compact crossover has been around since mid-2022, entering production that same year, and it is available in two body styles: coupe and crossover (SUV). Both models will be refreshed, as our spy photographers recently caught them undergoing testing together, and the peeps at Kolesa used those spy shots to create a couple of very realistic renderings.
 
Nikita Chuyko, who is one of the quoted outlet’s pixel masters, analyzed the scoops and sprinkled everything with a lot of common sense. Therefore, the 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC you see in the photo gallery actually previews the design of the real thing. And if it weren’t for a few special styling tweaks, it would likely fly under the radar, being recognizable only to those who are extremely familiar with the look of the outgoing iteration.
 
So, what is new from a visual perspective? Well, the star-infused headlights, for one. We said it before, and we’ll say it again: we’re surprised Mercedes took this long to come up with this feature, which suits all of the brand’s new-age cars perfectly. We will likely see it more and more on older Mercedes vehicles in an aftermarket twist, but that’s a story for another time.
 

The 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLC’s grille is shorter and wider, and features a thicker horizontal slat in the middle that is still interrupted by the corporate logo. The bumper has redesigned side vents, which are smaller, and a slightly shrunken air intake in the middle. The taillights are the same size and shape, yet the graphics were revised, and we can see some star references. The rear bumper and diffuser are also new, though if it weren’t for the taillamps, it’d be very tricky to tell this model apart from its predecessor at the rear.
 
The wheels seem to be about the same size as before, and the rendering master gave the updated, combustion-powered, second-generation GLC a white look with a few black accents. The AMG GLC 63 is also going to be updated, and it is said to drop the four-pot PHEV shared with the current C 63, swapping it with a hybridized inline-six, likely the one found in the larger E 53. The same visual and technical updates will also apply to the GLC Coupe, which targets the likes of the Audi Q5 Sportback and BMW X4.
 
Mercedes’ facelifted GLC is expected to launch for the 2027 model year sometime in 2026, and we think it looks better than the outgoing one, as imagined by the quoted outlet. If you had to pick between the outgoing one and the upcoming GLC, which one would you get and why?