Mercedes EQC priced from $137,900

MERCEDES-BENZ’S first series-production all-electric vehicle, the EQC, will enter showrooms on December 9 with a starting price of $137,900 plus on-road costs.

First customer deliveries of the zero-emissions medium/large SUV, which kicks off in EQC400 4Matic guise, will begin early next year, with demand set to easily outstrip supply during 2020 as production takes time to ramp up and expressions of interest from prospective buyers – taken for most of this year – translate into firm orders.

Mercedes has confirmed that those who have already registered to purchase the vehicle will be first in line to confirm the specification of their vehicle and lodge a deposit, with available options including a strictly limited $6900 Edition 1 kit and a $5900 Electric Art Line that add extra layers of luxuriousness to what is already a highly specified standalone model.

The Australian subsidiary of the market-leading German prestige brand is also offering a domestic wallbox for home recharging, which can be installed on regular single-phase power to deliver up to 7.4W – the maximum AC charging rate of the EQC – and allows wiring up to three-phase power to “future proof” the system as the technology improves, delivering about 22kW.

For now, the EQC400 has an 80kWh 405-volt lithium-ion battery that is integrated into the floor of the vehicle and allows a driving range of up to 434km (ADR rating). Energy consumption is rated at 21.4kWh/100km.

A full charge using the wallbox or a standard domestic wall outlet (with supplied 8m trickle-charger cable) will be an overnight exercise, while DC fast-charging at a public station via a Type 2 CCS plug dramatically reduces waiting times, with Mercedes claiming that about 220km of driving range can be restored in 30 minutes at the EQC’s maximum DC rate of 110kW.

Mercedes has partnered with Chargefox to provide free and unlimited ultra-rapid charging at the latter’s small but ever-growing network – currently at 20 sites along the eastern seaboard and across to Adelaide – for the first five years of ownership.

The EQC’s battery combines with two 150kW asynchronous electric motors (one on each axle) that together generate 300kW/760Nm, driving all four wheels via a single-speed, fixed-ratio transmission and Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system (with dynamic torque distribution).

The manufacturer claims the EQC, which is based on the same platform as the combustion-engined GLC, can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds.

Cabin highlights include two 10.25-inch digital screens, the advanced MBUX operating system, high-level connectivity via Mercedes me Connect, open-pore black ash wood trim (or faux carbon-fibre/aluminium trim as a no-cost option) and AMG black leather upholstery (which can be deleted in favour of Artico/Dinamica microfibre).

Seven metallic exterior colours will be available – standard white, blue, silver, grey and black, plus ‘designo’ options in white, red and grey.

The Edition 1 package is limited to just 25 units and includes 21-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels, two-tone ‘designo’ Nappa leather with diamond-stitched platinum white pearl inserts, ‘climatised’ front seats, tri-zone climate control, MBUX navigation with augmented reality and ‘Edition 1’ badging on the central pillars.

The Electric Art Line package includes rose gold stitching across the cabin and metallic silver/grey fine surface texturing, an air ioniser, higher-grade front seats (with climate control, massage function, and more), a choice of leather finishes and an Energizing Package Plus wellness program, details of which will come later.

For peace of mind, Mercedes has slapped an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the lithium-ion battery, while the remainder of the vehicle has three-year/unlimited-kilometre coverage.

Servicing prices are still to be detailed, with the company saying that owners can specify “a cost-effective maintenance package or wear-and-tear package as an option when purchasing, or benefit from three-year capped-price servicing”.

Metropolitan-based dealers will handle servicing and repair work, while any high-voltage repairs will be dealt with at designated “EQ centres”.

Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific chief executive and managing director Horst von Sanden said Australia was among the first countries in the world to receive the EQC.

“The EQC is a game-changer for Mercedes-Benz, but also it imposes a more luxurious standard of electric vehicle ownership,” he said.

“Our aim has never been to be the first to this market, but to offer the most complete solution possible to the question of future mobility. With the all-electric EQC, we are confident we have done just that.”

The $137,900 starting price is in line with expectations and sees the EQC compete directly with Jaguar’s I-Pace EV400 – priced at $135,400 for the SE and $146,000 for the HSE – and Tesla’s Model X, which was earlier this year dropped to $137,200 (Long Range) and $142,000 (Performance).

Audi will also enter the fray next year with the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback EVs.