Mercedes-Benz EQC

EQC has Mercedes-Benz quality with an all-electric finish

There is a dazzling new contender in the exciting electric SUV sector, as Andrew Walker found out

As the first model from Mercedes Benz’s EQ electric range, the EQC has already found plenty of fans, especially in the company car market, where its 1% Benefit in Kind makes it a very attractive proposition. If you’re currently driving a premium petrol or diesel SUV, it certainly makes a case for switching to electric.

It’s powered by an 80kWh battery, with an electric motor on each axle. That gives the EQC 300kW, or 403 bhp and a frankly crazy 760 Nm of torque, which in turn means a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds, from its single speed automatic transmission. It’s quick, particularly in a straight line, but as with all EVs, you’ll need to dampen down that heavy right foot in order to get the maximum range from the battery. The main reason why, is that the EQC is heavy, at nearly 2.5 tonnes, and like its rival the Audi e-tron, it feels it too.

There are four trim levels: Sport, AMG Line, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus. Entry level Sport model comes equipped with 19” alloys, keyless entry and start, LED headlights, leather trim, front and rear LED brake lights, SatNav, DAB, twin 10.25” digital screens, a parking package, a reversing camera and heated front seats, and the goodies come thick and fast as you move up the levels.

The interior doesn’t feel too different from any of the current Mercedes models, so you get plenty of top quality soft touch plastic, the familiar Mercedes-Benz dual screen across the dash and Man excellent infotainment system. New additions include a rubberised finish on the dash and square air vents rather than the round ones found on the GLC.

The central touchscreen display is intuitive and makes selecting the correct menu easy. There’s also a touchpad on the centre console, plus additional controls within the steering wheel, allowing you to select the menu you are after without taking your eyes of the road. The highlight is the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice-control feature, which allows passengers to adjust the cabin temperature, change the mood lighting or set the SatNav, without moving their hands.

Both front door bins will hold a 1.5-litre bottle and a smaller one as well. The glove box is a decent size, there’s a cubby at the base of the dash, two cup holders behind that, under armrest storage, plus a central rear armrest with two more cup holders located within. The boot comes with 500 litres of space, but it’s quite shallow thanks to the battery and noticeably smaller than some of the competition. Under the boot floor there is a compartment to store the two charging cables.

The driver’s seat comes with plenty of adjustment and the rear seats will comfortably take two adults, offering both good head and leg room. A combination of the battery weight and the 21”alloys fitted to our test car, the Premium Plus, meant a noticeable shudder over poorly maintained roads and there’s a tendency for rear passengers to sway around a little on winding roads. On the motorway, though, the ride is excellent.

Range and charging time

The EQC has an official electric range of 255 miles between full charges. It takes 75 minutes to charge your EQC to an 80% charge, using a 50kWh fast charger, while at home, plugged in to a home 7.2kWh charger, this increases to 13 hours. Charge at home using the standard day time rate of about 15p a kWh and it will cost you about £13 to fully charge your EQC. However, get yourself an EV car night time discounted rate offered by the likes of Octopus Go, who charge just 5p a kWh between 00.30 and 4 am and it’s only a fiver.

We spent an enjoyable week in the EQC, driving 250 miles in it. It was delivered with an 80% range which showed 200 miles and with several visits to the local gym, handily located next to my local Tesco Extra, where there are four 7kWh chargers, I topped it up for 90 minutes five times free of charge! A motorway drive of 85 miles saw the 200-mile range fall to 102 miles, so that’s pretty much as you would expect. In town or on local roads, where I was able to utilise the brake region of D- - and D-, I saw a steady one mile driven for one mile of range. Compared to other EVs, the Mercedes battery range is pretty accurate, but I was driving in a warm September and mostly alone. We’d surmise that if driven carefully, an 185 mile range is very achievable all through the year.

While the EQC is a brilliant motorway performer – quiet, comfortable and quick if required – take it on to some winding B roads and the battery makes its presence felt. This should not come as too much of a surprise. Batteries add excess weight and the larger the battery, the heavier the car. It’s not as heavy as the Audi e-tron, or as thrilling as the Jaguar I-PACE, but rather sits between the two. What you definitely get, however, is the refinement associated with all large Mercedes-Benz cars, and it’s a standout for this in the sector.

CC&V VERDICT

From a company car perspective, it’s a winner. Offers space, comfort, practicality and quality. It’s built for the city and the motorway. Only negative is small boot and sometimes lumpy ride caused by the heavy battery, but apart from that, unmistakeably a MercedesBenz you’ll feel at home in