The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC comes to Canada next spring, and while we dont know pricing, true range of option packaging yet, we do know that it drives like a Mercedes-Benz should.Andrew McCredie OSLO, Norway — It’s not the beautiful scenery, twisty smooth blacktop or sparse traffic that compelled Mercedes-Benz to choose this Scandinavian country as the place to invite the world’s motoring press for the first drive of what is arguably the most important vehicle in company history this century. It’s the fact Norway has the most electric vehicles per capita than any country in the world. One out of every five private cars is an EV, and in the first quarter of 2019, a stunning 71 per cent of all new vehicle purchases were electrics. Teslas, BMW i3s, and even the odd Audi e-Tron are abundant in Oslo and the outlying countryside, and entire, multi-level parking lots at train stations have chargers at every stall. True, a very generous incentive program has spurred the EV adoption among the country’s five million-plus souls, but so too has a strong sense of sustainability (somewhat ironic given the country’s treasure chest of some $1 trillion bulges from oil reserve revenue that lie in and around Norway). The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC is the automaker’s first foray into a full-electric production vehicle, and begins an ambitious roll out of no less than 10 all-new EVs by 2020. Up next are the EQA, the EQB and, most likely, the EQS. The EQC was a smart place to start, as it is essentially an electrified version of the company’s top-selling vehicle, the GLC crossover. And while they share the same wheelbase and roughly the same interior dimensions, that’s where the similarities end. The EQC is a fresh sheet, purpose-built design featuring a lithium-ion battery pack designed and built in-house by Mercedes. It didn’t take long behind the wheel to realize what the appeal of this vehicle is, outside of the fact that it runs zero emission-free. First and foremost, it’s a Mercedes-Benz. Meaning, the interior has all the familiar hallmarks of the luxury brand, from the door-mounted seat controls to the razor sharp fit and finish, and from that iconic windshield wiper stalk to the comfortable, and well-bolstered, seats. But it also carries the new EQ design language, including a massive 25-inch split screen dedicated to driving gauges on the left screen and Nav/Media on the right. Likewise, the exterior is immediately recognizable as a Benz, from the big three-point star on the nose through to the elegant lines of the contoured body. On that nose, North American EQCs will get a light display star rather than the traditional badge that were on the EQCs at the press drive. And, most importantly to the purists of the brand, the EQC drives like a Mercedes. Steering is laser precise, there is no wishy-washy handling through those aforementioned twisty bits, and the performance is almost AMG-worthy right out of the box. The one concession to handling comes from the electrified propulsion system’s bit of low gravity girth in the form of a 652 kilogram, 80 kWh battery pack located in the floor of the sport utility. While that low-slung weight gives the vehicle a real sense of road stickiness, it also conveys a sense of weightiness not found in gas-powered Mercedes’ utilities. That said, the asynchronous electric motors driving the front and rear axles do spirit the 2495 kg EQC from a standstill to 100 km/h in an impressive 5.1 seconds. Power output isn’t too shabby either, rated at 408 horsepower and 564 lbs.-ft of torque, accommodating a towing capacity of 1800 kg. There are five drive mode settings to play with, including the self-explanatory Comfort, Eco and Sport. The Max Range mode will control things like regenerative braking, power output and distribution to all four wheels to maximize the range given the current state of charge of the vehicle. And Individual mode allows you to tailor the various EV-related parameters to your preference. As to regenerative braking, there are five settings that are controlled by steering wheel mounted paddle shifters, a very welcome ‘driver operated’ feature that provides an added driving dynamic, particularly over undulating and winding terrain (which as it turns out is abundant in Norway). There are three regen settings, from the mild D through to a medium D- and very strong D, the latter ideal for ‘one-pedal driving’ in more congested traffic situations. When you’ve got nothing but open road ahead, the D+ setting allows for unimpeded coasting, while the final setting, D Auto, lets the EQC’s computer brain figure what level of regent is best in real time. In this setting it was a bit of a revelation when the EQC applied the brakes on its own when we rolled up on a slower moving vehicle, and did so not with an abrupt stab but a nice, even threshold braking of sorts. It makes you realize how all aspects of the laundry list of onboard safety systems are constantly, and
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC