Current affairs
It’s no i-Pace, but it’s not trying to be. The electric Merc has its own ways of attracting the floating voter.
Talk about a tough act to follow. Mercedes’ EV crossover arrived as the much-loved Jaguar i-Pace rolled off to BCA. Two pure-electric, all-wheel-drive rivals with specs closer than a photo finish, but different characters: the i-Pace a cleverly-packaged, corner-carving delight, the EQC an exquisitely trimmed, high-tech luxobarge.
The Mercedes is superb at wafting around in utter
Count the cost
Cost new £75,295 Part exchange £54,500 Cost per mile 4p Cost per mile including depreciation £5.57 tranquility. The steering feels light and effortless, but a jink off the dead-ahead triggers a sharply connected response from the front end, and the e-motors can unleash surging acceleration to surf gaps in tra c or amuse my goading kids on country straights (though it runs out of puff above 60mph).
But the EQC has a limiting factor: its soft suspension and corpulent 2.5-tonne mass conspire to create wayward body movements. Speed bumps, braking and sharp steering inputs can trigger more rocking than the Download festival, and the ace-looking 21-inch rims don’t help.
My favourite feature is the driver-controlled brake-energy recuperation. Click the paddles to toggle between five braking modes, from ‘one pedal’ driving where lifting abruptly slows the car and harvests energy, through to momentum-optimising coasting. On summery long journeys, the EQC could manage 2.9 miles per kilowatt hour – besting the o cial consumption. Rewind to winter and the EQC set a baseline of 150 miles from a charge and 1.5 miles per kWh. A midsummer fill could yield 100 miles more! Over nine months, the EQC averaged 2.1 miles per kWh, according to the Mercedes Me app.
That’s a brilliant interface, notifying me to remotely lock the car to compensate for Mrs Mc’s absent-mindedness, and enabling me to control remote charging. The MBUX control system also proved a powerful bit of kit. The
‘Hey Mercedes’ voice activation was hit and miss, the navigation ba ed by postcodes but adept at road names. The Premium package’s augmented video directions felt more gimmick than gamechanger; to me, the Burmester stereo was the only worthwhile part of that £4645 pack. But the steering-wheel touchpads controlling the versatile digital instrument binnacle, and knockout graphics across the board, trounce most rivals.
In a rites-of-passage moment, I also experienced my first electric car service at slick Mercedes-Benz Watford, carried out in two hours while I waited. The technicians checked the battery and tyres and replaced screenwash and dust filter. It cost £268 – compared with £420 for Merc’s combustion equivalent, the GLC.
The EQC is not a space-ecient car: it’s 100mm longer than the Jag, but more cramped in the rear (emphasising the benefits of a dedicated EV architecture). The 500-litre boot holds plenty. Just ensure the charging cable isn’t in the commodious underfloor cubby before loading; a frunk would eliminate that annoyance.
Ultimately I’d still have the 300kg-lighter Jaguar for dynamic reasons, but the peaceful Merc makes its own compelling case. The proverb says familiarity breeds contempt. But after nine months with the EQC, it’s a case of familiarity breeds content.
On long summery journeys the EQC could best the o cial consumption