Mercedes-Benz EQC review: German brand plays it safe with first electric car

The world’s oldest carmaker has has launched its first electric car in Australia, taking a different approach to Tesla and other rivals.

There is little shock value to the first electric Mercedes. Other electric cars take bold approaches — consider Tesla’s ambitious autopilot driver aids, “ludicrous mode” acceleration and outlandish “falcon wing” doors. Jaguar’s I-Pace looks like a spaceship, BMW’s i3 redefined how a city car could work and the Nissan Leaf promises to keep your home running in a blackout.

But the new Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 is an electric Mercedes-Benz.

That alone makes it a “game-changer”, according to the brand.

The Mercedes-Benz EQC is remarkably unremarkable.

Based loosely on the best-selling GLC medium-size luxury SUV, the EQC 400 replaces that car’s petrol or diesel engines with a pair of electric motors serving up a combined 300kW and 760Nm.

A battery with 80kWh of usable storage enables 353km of range, according to the tough European WLTP standard.

Priced from $137,900 plus on-roads, or about $150,000 drive-away, the EQC will be sold through a controversial structure parallel to the dealer network. There’s no haggling — you pay a fixed price to the Australian HQ, bypassing conventional sales models.

It costs more than twice as much as the standard GLC 200 with which it shares underpinnings and about $60,000 more than the plug-in hybrid GLC 300e, which is good for 40km-odd of pure electric driving before the petrol engine cuts in.

The EQC comes with free charging at Chargefox sites for five years.

With the EQC 400, owners get five years of electricity included, via the Chargefox rapid charging network, along with a three-year vehicle warranty and eight-year guarantee the battery will maintain at least 70 per cent performance — or about 250km of range. A home charging box adds $1250 to the ticket.

The full force of Mercedes’ safety knowledge is applied to the EQC, which has nine airbags and almost every driver aid you could care to name (including semi-autonomous traffic jam assistance). The bodyshell contributed to a new benchmark for adult protection in electric cars while matching the best-in-market child protection results held by other Mercedes.

The EQC has a set price, there is no opportunity to haggle.

Teeming with tech, the five-seat EQC has a head-up display and twin 10.25-inch screens with satnav, smartphone mirroring and a suite of connected features made possible by the advanced MBUX interface, including a voice assistant similar to Apple’s Siri.

The eye-catching cabin is impressively hushed on the road, recycled materials used throughout feel suitably plush — all of which is expected for a car with that star on the grille — and unlike other electric cars, the EQC doesn’t whirr or whine.

Flooring the throttle results in an initial surge of acceleration that peters out somewhat, though Mercedes claims 5.1 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint. The EQC is punchy at low speed but highway acceleration is less impressive.

Mercedes has used recycled materials throughout the cabin.

The EQC is significantly heavier than conventional cousins and electric rivals on the road, lacking the athleticism of Jaguar’s surprisingly agile I-Pace. Torquey take-off apart, it’s average to drive.

There is an odd suspension mix of steel springs at the front and air at the rear, resulting in a ride that’s more jiggly than expected ride — it feels well-sorted at low speed but flustered at times on country roads.

Other brands have taken a clean-sheet approach to their green vehicles but the GLC is more akin to an electrified example of an existing model.

When you consider BMW and Tesla introduced electric prestige cars five years ago — after the debut of Nissan and Mitsubishi battery-powered runabouts — the EQC is not only late to the party but also a little under-dressed.

The EQC is extremely expensive, like nearly all electric cars.

Verdict 3/5

Benz plays it safe with its first electric car. The remarkably unremarkable EQC 400 doesn’t rock the boat, representing an easy transition to electric motoring for prestige customers.

Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 vitals

Price: About $150,000 drive-away

Warranty/servicing: 3 years/unlimited km, $1350 for 3 years

Safety: 5 stars, 9 airbags, AEB

Motor: Electric front and rear, 300kW/760Nm combined

Thirst: 21.4kWh/100km

Range: 353km

Spare: None, inflation kit

Boot: 500L