Mercedes-Benz unveils its first electric SUV (Photos)

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At an event in Sweden Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off its first proper electric vehicle under the EQ brand. The EQC (official name: EQC 400 4Matic) is the automaker’s crossover foray into electrified vehicles. With a smooth space-age design, the company calls an “avant-garde electro-look” the EQ is sure to turn heads when it lands on US shores in 2020.

The all-wheel-drive EV uses two motors (one in the front, one in the back) to propel itself, but for the sake of efficiency, each motor is configured differently. When the vehicle is under light and medium load, only the front motor is engaged. The rear motor meanwhile is there for “sportiness.” That’s something the car will have plenty of thanks to 402 horsepower and 564 foot-pounds of torque.

Mercedes says the EQC can do zero to 60 in 4.9 seconds. So it’s no slouch off the line.

It’s powered by an 80kWh battery pack running under the floor of the vehicle. The automaker says that car will support DC fast charging and will go from 10 percent to 90 percent in about 40 minutes via a 110 kW power source.

With a range of approximately of 200 miles, it’s not going to unseat offerings from other automakers for how long it can stay on the road before plugging in, but it does deliver on the luxury you would expect from Mercedes.

While the exterior looks a bit like futuristic GLC, the interior goes full future with rose-gold accents and dual10.25-inch displays (one for the instrument cluster, the other for media) behind a single piece of glass that floats ahead of the dash. The doors and dah have “fins” to resemble a high-end amplifier.

If that’s not fancy enough for you there will be an AMG interior trim level. No word how much more that’ll add to the cost of the vehicle.

As you would expect, the latest Mercedes-Benz tech will be available in the car when it launches. That includes the new MBUX infotainment system with its impressive voice control. The system will have additional features for the EQ line including the ability to find nearby chargers.

It also has ECO Assist which helps create an efficiency map of a route using curves, intersections, traffic circles, gradients, and speed limits to alert the driver on how to drive efficiently. With a combination of light on the dash cluster and haptic feedback on the accelerator, Mercedes says it’ll help make drivers more efficient.

Behind the wheel, the latest version of Distronic — the automaker’s suite of driver-assistance features — includes slowing a vehicle down while in adaptive cruise control for corners using high-quality mapping and streets signs.

Unfortunately, there’s no word on pricing for the electric Mercedes. But it won’t be the last EV to come from the automaker. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz said that the company will invest 10 billion euros in the EQ portfolio and over a billion in battery production.

Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / Hightechsilber / Interior: Electric Art / Der neue Mercedes-Benz EQC – der erste Mercedes-Benz der Produkt- und Technologiemarke EQ. Mit seinem nahtlosen klaren Design ist der EQC ein Vorreiter einer avantgardistischen Elektro-Ästhetik mit wegweisenden Designdetails und markentypischen Farbakzenten außen wie innen. / Der EQC erhält das wegweisende Multimediasystem MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience, ergänzt um zahlreiche EQ spezifische Inhalte wie beispielsweise die Anzeige von Reichweite, Ladezustand und Energiefluss. EQ optimierte Navigation, Fahrprogramme, Ladestrom und Abfahrtszeit lassen sich ebenfalls über MBUX bedienen und einstellen. // Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / hightech silver / Interior: Electric Art / The new Mercedes-Benz EQC – the first Mercedes-Benz under the product and technology brand EQ. With its seamless, clear design, the EQC is a pioneer for an avant-garde electric look with trailblazing design details and colour highlights typical of the brand both inside and out. / The EQC features the innovative multimedia system MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience – which has numerous EQ-specific functions such as the display of range, charge status and energy flow. EQ-optimised navigation, driving modes, charging current and departure time can also be controlled and set via MBUX.
Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / Hightechsilber / Interior: Electric Art / Der neue Mercedes-Benz EQC – der erste Mercedes-Benz der Produkt- und Technologiemarke EQ. Mit seinem nahtlosen klaren Design ist der EQC ein Vorreiter einer avantgardistischen Elektro-Ästhetik mit wegweisenden Designdetails und markentypischen Farbakzenten außen wie innen. / Schnelles Laden für zu Hause: Mit der neuen Generation der Mercedes-Benz Wallbox kann der EQC zu Hause bis zu drei Mal schneller laden als an der Haushaltssteckdose. // Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / hightech silver / Interior: Electric Art / The new Mercedes-Benz EQC – the first Mercedes-Benz under the product and technology brand EQ. With its seamless, clear design, the EQC is a pioneer for an avant-garde electric look with trailblazing design details and colour highlights typical of the brand both inside and out. / Quick-charging in the home: With the new-generation Mercedes-Benz Wallbox, the EQC can be charged up to three times faster in the home than from a domestic power socket
Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / designo Diamantweiß bright / Exterior: AMG Line / Interior: AMG Line / Der neue Mercedes-Benz EQC – der erste Mercedes-Benz der Produkt- und Technologiemarke EQ. Mit seinem nahtlosen klaren Design ist der EQC ein Vorreiter einer avantgardistischen Elektro-Ästhetik mit wegweisenden Designdetails und markentypischen Farbakzenten außen wie innen. / Der EQC erhält das wegweisende Multimediasystem MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience, ergänzt um zahlreiche EQ spezifische Inhalte wie beispielsweise die Anzeige von Reichweite, Ladezustand und Energiefluss. EQ optimierte Navigation, Fahrprogramme, Ladestrom und Abfahrtszeit lassen sich ebenfalls über MBUX bedienen und einstellen. // Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4MATIC, (BR N293) / designo diamond white bright / Exterior: AMG Line / Interior: AMG Line / The new Mercedes-Benz EQC – the first Mercedes-Benz under the product and technology brand EQ. With its seamless, clear design, the EQC is a pioneer for an avant-garde electric look with trailblazing design details and colour highlights typical of the brand both inside and out. / The EQC features the innovative multimedia system MBUX – Mercedes-Benz User Experience – which has numerous EQ-specific functions such as the display of range, charge status and energy flow. EQ-optimised navigation, driving modes, charging current and departure time can also be controlled and set via MBUX.

Credits: https://www.engadget.com/2018/09/04/mercedes-benz-eqc-electric-suv-unveil/