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The facelifted Mercedes EQV goes up against few rivals Yes there are the e Spacetourers and Vivaro Life Electrics of this world but they’ll never hold a candle to the EQV Posher innit
The EQV now has a shorter more vertical bonnet a simpler grille flanked by chrome or carbon accented vents Previously the family hauler used heat from the battery to make winter warming more rapid Now Merc tells us it’s using heat from the electric motor
It negotiates double parked narrow streets more gracefully than logic comprehends It’s wieldy enough you soon stop worrying there’s metres of metal behind you m in ‘Extra Long’ guise With one pedal smoothness it glides and slows without missing a beat But consider the kg kerbweight
The EQV is front wheel drive and on this occasion empty of passengers Add a few adults in the back plus even modest luggage for each of them and if the weight of all that totals more than kg there are two things you need to worry about acceleration because this doesn’t have much punch and acquiring a lorry licence Perhaps that’s why there’s only two very fancy massaging recliners in this particularly capacious rear cabin As standard most EQVs will be seven seaters this two person mega van will be a much rarer sight just like the celebs the driver will be shuttling in style in the rear
The larger kWh battery gives around miles on a full charge the smaller kWh just shy of miles Choose strong regen and the battery will hungrily suck down braking energy whereas auto mode means the car alters the amount of energy to recoup based on the terrain The latter makes for a more comfortable experience
The Avantgarde interior design furnishes the cabin with plenty of leather and a high quality practical space Two in displays seamlessly stitched together and complemented by touchpad physical buttons and touchscreen accessibility get MercedesMe app integration There’s a highly responsive driver assist suite and a new digital camera mirror so the driver can see past passenger heads
At the moment the EQV has the electric luxo van market largely to itself This lays down a marker for others