I’m delighted to have been selected to test drive the Mercedes-Benz EQC for two days this weekend at Garage 42.
I usually drive a Volvo XC60 that I bought with a Shanghai license plate two years ago. Although my car isn’t outdated yet, the discussion about new energy vehicles has been very high this year, and it is also the future trend. Therefore, I have always wanted to find an opportunity to try driving a pure electric vehicle, preferably an SUV model, since I am one meter and ninety centimeters tall and I prefer larger vehicles.
By chance, I became aware of the opportunity to test drive the Mercedes-Benz EQC, and I promptly registered. Having seen advertisements for GuangBo BMW i Series and Audi e-Tron Series, I was curious to find out what kind of new energy electric vehicle could be produced by a traditional car manufacturer like Mercedes-Benz.
First Impressions of the Exterior
To maintain a sense of freshness, I didn’t do too much research on the EQC before the official test drive, which made my first impressions more genuine.
The first thing I noticed about the EQC was its unique headlights. The LED light strip at the upper end of the front grille connects the two large headlights on either side, giving it a technological look. In the evening, when the car was started, the multi-beam headlights’ illumination and self-check effect were really cool and had a great sense of ceremony.
Compared to the Volvo XC60, the EQC’s overall body doesn’t seem much bigger, but the contours are fuller, and the muscular feeling of the body and the luxuriousness of the large Mercedes logo blend together, making me want to open the door and take a closer look.
Interior
The car’s leather interior and rose gold decorations exude the meticulous, warm and elite style of this German gentleman. Both the driver and passenger seats are equipped with multi-position adjustments and three adjustable heating functions, providing me with a luxurious experience. The interior space is smaller than that of the XC60, and the rear seats are not very friendly to someone my size. Fortunately, I only needed to sit in the driver’s seat.
## Infotainment Screen & System
This car has two very large and useful 10.25-inch screens. The central screen is supported by the new MBUX infotainment system, which has an intelligent assistant similar to Google Assistant/Apple Siri/Amazon Alexa, which can help with navigation and making phone calls. There is also an available head-up display in case you need more information while driving. When driving, a continually changing LED light strip can also be felt, reflecting the careful design of the Mercedes-Benz internal space and expressing a sense of luxury in every detail.
Driving Experience
For me, an old driver used to driving a fuel car, the first feeling of driving EQC is quiet, too damn quiet! Especially when driving alone, I enjoy the kind of focus of quiet surroundings while driving towards my destination. The experience of driving a fuel car with the roar of the engine and the push back feeling is the driving itself, while electric cars like EQC make people feel that “driving is also a part of life.”
When you turn on the radio or connect to Bluetooth to play music, the sound of Berliner Philharmoniker is the “luxurious feeling you can hear” and that’s how life should be! But I didn’t ask about the price of this optional sound system, which should not be cheap.
EQC comes with three preset driving modes that can be personalized according to your preferences. The energy-saving mode is very special, and the physical feel of the accelerator pedal is slightly heavier, so I kept using “comfort mode” afterwards.
Other Worth MentioningMy weekend itinerary is mainly from Jiangqiao Town in Shanghai to Xuhui Binjiang, with a one-way distance of about 20 kilometers. There are bumpy roads on the outer ring and congested road conditions on the inner ring. In Shanghai’s winter in December, the outdoor temperature is around 5 degrees Celsius, and the battery life is slightly insufficient. The official endurance is 415 kilometers, but at least a 20% reduction is needed in actual tests. The cold and windy weather in Shanghai has some impact on the battery.
Charging is also a problem. Refueling for gasoline cars takes only 1-2 minutes, while it takes half an hour for EQC electric cars to charge from 10% to 50%. Therefore, electric cars need to be fully charged when parked at home overnight, and the mentality of gasoline car owners needs to be adjusted.
The interior reading light design is very distinctive, showing that it is designed for car owners with reading needs. The crystal-like LED light is bright without hurting the eyes.
Conclusion
Mercedes-Benz EQC embodies what “visible luxury” means, with Mercedes-Benz’s mark everywhere. The electric drive system breaks through the ceiling of the powertrain, and the driving experience surpasses that of gasoline cars in the same class, with a wide and delicate aura and a sense of advanced and ceremonial experience throughout.
First of all, EQC is a Mercedes-Benz, and then it is an electric car. However, from this test drive experience, the endurance performance of this car is still acceptable.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.