Late 2019 launch for Mercedes-Benz EV

Mercedes-Benz Australia will launch its new EQC 400 electric SUV Down Under before the end of 2019.

Although initial volumes for the all-electric mid-size soft-roader will be tight, local Mercedes connections believe that the first Australian customers will take deliveries of their cars from November.

In markets like the USA, the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 is not expected to go on sale until the second quarter of 2020.

The full specifications of Australia’s Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 are yet to be announced, however, Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed it will only offer a single high-content variant of the twin-motor, all-wheel drive 300kW/760Nm five-seat wagon.

In short, that means the Australian EQCs will feature a full complement of safety equipment, with connected systems, otherwise optional equipment such as AMG Line styling and big alloys, as standard.

The first EQC vehicles will be equipped with an Edition 1 package that will include (even larger) 21-inch AMG wheels and interior upgrades including diamond-stitched upholstery.

Mercedes has not confirmed an exact build number for the launch edition.

The new Benz electric SUV features an interior that will be familiar to both GLC and A-Class customers: the former in terms of overall size and practical two-row configuration; and the latter thanks to the large MBUX electronic screen-based driver interface.

Pricing for the new Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 is expected to be announced closer to the model’s official on-sale date in October.

Based on European numbers, the standard Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 should arrive Down Under at around $140,000. The early Edition 1s will be priced under $150,000, insiders say.

The closest direct competitor to the new Mercedes-Benz, is the Jaguar I-PACE, which is priced from around $120,000. Jaguar offers a four-model walk for I-PACE with top-spec versions costing about $160,000.

In Europe, the Mercedes-Benz EQC is offered with a range of maintenance and whole-of-life packages. Owners can even rent conventional Mercedes models for use on longer road trips, etc.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is expected to offer capped-price servicing and similar long-term ownership benefits, however, it will not stretch to the car swap scheme.

“It's highly unlikely our EQC buyers will be one-car households,” Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson Jerry Stamoulis told carsales.com.au.

“In Europe, that's often not the case. Our buyers might live in Germany and have a holiday house in Spain or Italy and only have the EQC. The rental scheme is designed to cater for them,” he stated.

Service intervals for the new Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 will be set at 25,000km for 12 months. Costs are expected to be around half the corresponding conventional models.

Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Ford, the Volkswagen Group and BMW to launch a European-wide charging network under the brand IONITY. The vision for infrastructure rollout will have fast-chargers at strategic intervals right across Europe's major highway network.

In Australia, Mercedes-Benz will partner with Chargefox. This will provide owners access to a rapidly growing fast-charger network as well as a range of home charging options.

The Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 features an 80kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is guaranteed for eight years and 160,000km. Expected real-world range is circa 400km-plus. Mercedes-Benz’s experts say Aussie conditions are kind on battery packs in terms of longevity and day to day range.

Using DC fast-charging, the Mercedes-Benz EQC can be boosted from 10 to 80 per cent capacity in around 40 minutes. Benz says the EQC will take 11 hours to charge from 10 to 90 per cent via its easily installed home 32A wallbox, thanks to the car’s onboard water-cooled 7.4kW charger.

Performance claims for the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 are modest compared to EV poster-child Tesla’s models. Still, 5.1sec 0-100km/h for a five-seat mid-size SUV is hardly tardy. The EQC is limited to a 180km/h top speed.

Perhaps of more interest to many Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 buyers will be the EQC Optimised Navigation, which Mercedes-Benz Australia has confirmed will come Down Under.

The system uses a continually updated mix of data to plan and optimise journeys including charging stops where required. Inputs include battery charge, weather, topography, traffic flow and available charging stations.

Says Mercedes-Benz: “Customers do not necessarily have to charge the vehicle fully but can charge it to suit the total journey time. The route planning also responds dynamically to changes.”

As is the case with a number of the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400’s function (including cabin climate pre-conditioning), the navigation planning can be initiated off-board via the EQC’s version of the Mercedes me app.

Look out for our first drive impressions of the new Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 on Wednesday (May 15).