Mercedes Hopes Its EVs Stand Out With a New 'Pixelated' Grille

It has 942 animated backlit pixel dots that bring "the electric GLC to life."

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Aug 4, 2025 at 11:16am ET

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The Mercedes-Benz GLC EV will be a proper refresh for the brand's electric vehicle lineup. The crossover, which debuts next month, will introduce a new design language for the brand that includes a bold look for one of Mercedes' most iconic elements: The chrome grille.

The new piece takes direct inspiration from the company's past, and the influence of models like the W 108 and 600 Pullman is pretty clear. The new design has a chrome frame, a smoked-glass-effect lattice structure, and contour lighting, but Mercedes doesn't show what that one looks like.

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Instead, the automaker shows off the optional illuminated version, which features 942 animated backlit pixel dots that bring "the electric GLC to life." Automakers love to make their cars stand out, and as regulations and consumer trends turn vehicles into efficient, high-riding egg-shaped hatchbacks, they've embraced lighting as another way to differentiate their products.

"Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand," said the company's chief design officer, Gorden Wagener. "It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable."

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The new GLC EV will also feature the next phase of its "Sensual Purity" design language, which we'll have to wait to see. Inside, the crossover, one of the brand's best-selling models, will have an MBUX Hyperscreen, which will run the brand's new, in-house designed MB.OS software that features an AI assistant and a three-dimensional gaming engine.

The new grille will launch on the GLC with EQ Technology, which debuts September 7 at the Munich IAA Mobility show. However, we expect the grille and updated design language to spread to other Mercedes models as the company introduces new products and refreshes existing cars.