Mercedes-Benz will soon unveil its first EV in India
The EQC is the first Merc under the EQ brand
It was first showcased at the 2018 Paris Motor Show
With the world turning to electric mobility solutions, Mercedes-Benz wants to show that it too is committed to the game—and how! The well-known German automaker is planning to announce its recently created electric vehicle sub-brand EQ in India on January 14. But that's not all. The company will also unveil the Mercedes-Benz EQC all-electric SUV on the same day, for the first time in India. As it's still not ready for production, the Mercedes-Benz EQC will most likely go on sale only later in the year.
Based on the platform of the Mercedes-Benz X253 GLC-Class, the Mercedes-Benz EQC is an all-electric compact luxury SUV. The EQC 400 4MATIC model comes with an asynchronous electric motor fitted on either axle. Drawing power from an 80kWh battery pack with 384 lithium-ion cells, the EQC delivers a WLTP-tested range of 417 kilometres on a single charge. Merc says the EQC can go from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 5.1 seconds and max out at 180 kilometres per hour.
On the inside, the Mercedes-Benz EQC features two 10.25-inch touchscreen panels that are placed side by side to act as the instrument cluster and central dashboard display. The audio setup is handled by an exclusive Burmester Surround-Sound system. Like its brethren, the EQC is powered by the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), which, in addition to touch inputs, recognises voice inputs made by the user. The integrated digital assistant can be asked to dial a phone number or set the air-con temperature by preceding the command with the phrase, ‘Hey Mercedes’.
We saw the Mercedes-Benz EQC first at the 2018 Paris Motor Show but this is the first time we'll be seeing it in India. According to Autocar India, Mercedes-Benz will launch the EQC in the country later in the year. With any luck, this Merc could exist for a while the first and only luxury EV in the country before BMW India decides to launch the Mini Electric in 2021. The EV space in India was recently populated by the Tata Nexon EV and MG ZS EV. It is said to be joined by the more affordable Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV sometime soon.
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Vignesh Giridharan
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