Pro: Quiet And Comfy
As is the case with all electric vehicles, the absence of any engine noise highlights any other sounds that it may make. Road and wind noise, in particular, yet the EQC does a remarkable job of eliminating those unwanted sounds, especially if you have one with the optional double glazed side windows. It is one of the quietest if not the quietest EVs currently on the market.
Pro: Mat the pedal and it goes
The EQC is not among the most powerful luxury electric SUVs on the market, but it has more than enough shove to get out of its own way. It is remarkably quick, even off the line, sprinting to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds or to 100 km/h 5.1 seconds, catapulting itself forward without hardly making a sound.
Pro: Fanciest looking interior of any EV
Some of the EQC’s interior is shared with the GLC, but there is enough bespoke design in there to make it feel special. It is a class above the GLC in terms of design, and in terms of quality and ambiance, it has to be the most luxurious feeling EV currently on the market.
Con: ICE underpinnings bring limitations
The EQC doesn’t ride on a dedicated EV platform and as a result, it doesn’t have all the advantages of a vehicle that was built from the ground up with an electric powertrain in mind. As a result, it has no front trunk, the rear cargo area isn’t as deep as it could have been and it still has a transmission tunnel running down the middle of the passenger compartment - this makes the middle rear seat slightly uncomfortable.
Con: Range and charging
The EQC has a relatively big 85 kWh battery pack whose usable capacity is 80 kWh. Mercedes quotes it as being able to travel up to 417 km (259 miles) on a single charge, as per the WLTP test cycle, but real world range is just over 300 km (186 miles) if you’re not really trying to drive economically. On top of this, it can only charge at a maximum rate of 110 kW (lower than some competing models which can hit 150 kW).
Con: It’s pricey
On the local market, the EQC starts at €76,190 ($85,550), but our well-equipped tester cost €89,987 ($100,977). And it’s worth it if you only take luxury feel into consideration, and having the Three Pointed Star on the grille, because its performance, range and practicality are about middle of the road when compared to the best electric SUVs currently out.
