China’s Long-Wheelbase Love Affair
China loves its long-wheelbase cars. It stems from the fact that car ownership was something reserved for the elite back in the day, and the larger the car, the more wealth it implied. It also hinted that whoever was in said long vehicle had a chauffeur, another thing implying a robust bank account.
But as car ownership in China had become normalized, that notion took a back seat, and the market had simply become used to long-wheelbase vehicles. Yes, there’s still some prestige in it, but it has practically become the norm over there. German automakers had long catered their China-produced vehicles to local tastes. Audi was the first to do so, with BMW and Mercedes-Benz eventually following suit.
Mercedes-Benz
A New Stretched Mercedes Coming Soon
Unsurprisingly, China will get its own version of the Mercedes-Benz GLC EV. It’ll be stretched from the get-go and come with unique touches that should make it more appealing for the Chinese market.
It hasn’t been formally launched yet, although the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (via Autohome) has approved the vehicle’s homologation. In this case, it’ll be called the GLC 400L with the L standing for long. One doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that its main rival will be the BMW iX3 L, which recently made its Chinese premiere.
Mercedes-Benz
How Much Bigger?
Per the China MIIT, the GLC 400L measures 194.8 inches long, 77.6 inches wide, 67.3 inches tall, and sits on a 119.1-inch wheelbase. Despite appearances, the width and height are different from those of the GLC currently available outside of China.
For comparison, the ‘rest of the world’ GLC EV is 190.7 inches long, 75.3 inches wide, 64.7 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 117 inches. All in all, the Chinese GLC EV is 4.1 inches longer, with a 2.1-inch longer wheelbase. This version is also 2.3 inches wider and sits 2.6 inches higher.
Mercedes-Benz
Made in China, For China
It probably won’t come as much of a surprise, but the GLC 400L will most likely not be offered in the U.S. For starters, the GLS exists and easily has more room than the stretched GLC EV. Secondly, tariffs inevitably get in the way, so it’s not worth it for Mercedes-Benz to go through the effort of homologating it for North America for little profit. That said, there are some markets that could get the lengthened Benz. Some China-built Mercedes models have been offered outside of the home market, particularly around Asia.
The vehicle shown in the homologation files and on official materials still features hidden door handles. However, government filings show a photo of conventional handles, as China has banned electronic pop-out units. Like BMW, Mercedes went to the trouble of making handles specific to China to comply with local regulations. Another feature unique to China is the six-seater configuration. The longer wheelbase allowed for the addition of a third row, although the second row swaps the bench for a pair of captain’s chairs.
Mercedes-Benz
About the author
Anton Andres
News Editor