The new IX3 faces a direct rival on the first day. Before it is reached from the exhibition room, BMW’s first modern NEE class model collides with the Electric Mercedes GLC. Both CrossOvers share this week at the IAA mobility show in Munich. We have already posted many live recordings of the IX3 from the event. So why not throw in some of his competitors? In addition, a complete sentence of GLC press images should help you decide which looks better.
As always, beauty lies in the eye of the viewer. That means it is not the BMW the Mercedes that receive the oversized radiator grille this time. Elsewhere, some find the three -magic star motif a bit exaggerated because it appears in the headlights and rear lights. To drive the point home, exactly 162 stars are embedded in the panorama glass sliding roof. Overkill maybe?
Inside, the monstrous 39-inch display of the GLC makes the iDrive X setup with its 17.9-inch center touchscreen and panoramic projection less overwhelming. But variety is a good thing. The world would be a boring place if every car looked the same inside and outside. Mercedes and BMW have different approaches for design and technology, and as always, customers have to decide who earns their hard earnings.
The Volkswagen Group also has competitors in this segment with the Porsche Macan and Audi Q6 e-tron. Certainly to say that buyers spoiled the selection. In the meantime, BMW will attract a slimmer IX4 with a slimmer IX4 in the coming years. The coupé-like roof line should bring aerodynamic advantages. If this is the case, the engineers and designers can express a few miles. However, this would almost certainly be possible at the expense of the back room and the cargo. You can’t have everything, do you? And as BMW, the IX4 can rule a premium above the equivalent IX3.
While BMW and Mercedes concentrate their EV efforts on SUVs carefully, many of us are still waiting for limousines. Fortunately, they are not far back. The i3 and C-Class EV will both debut in 2026 and not reach the market long after. Munich could even run an i3 tour, and it will be interesting to see whether Stuttgart retaliates with an electro-C-class discount.
The new IX3 and the GLC with EQ technology (To use the official name) Mark a new era for BMW and Mercedes alike. From basics to design to tech in the car, everything is fresh on these models. Together they initiate the next chapter of a rivalry that decades decades when focal strength ruled the streets. Ice is still king, but the gap shrinks.
[Photos: www.qr-photography.com]
