Mercedes-Benz EQC (2019-2023) Review

The Mercedes-Benz EQC was the manufacturer’s first series-production electric SUV and one of the earliest premium EVs from an established European brand.

It arrived in 2019 at roughly the same time as the Audi e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace, joining the Tesla Model X in what was then a very small market for luxury electric SUVs.

First thing you should know is that the Mercedes-Benz EQC is smaller than most, so it struggles to match the best of them for practicality. Indeed, the Tesla even gives you seven seats as opposed to the five seats in the rest.

The Jaguar I-Pace has the sporty side of things sewn up thanks to its eye-widening speed and sharp handling, whereas the Audi e-tron majors on being an electric SUV that feels like a luxury limousine thanks to its cosseting ride, sensational refinement and impressive interior quality. So what trump card does that leave for the Mercedes-Benz EQC to play?

Step forward, MBUX. This is Mercedes’ latest generation of infotainment tech, and it brings all sorts of different functionality together into one visually stunning and easy-to-use package. 

Bear in mind that you’ll want to buy a car of AMG Line Premium level or above to get the most out of it on this score (because entry-level cars miss a few desirable bits of functionality, unfortunately), but if you do, and you love your gadgets, then this alone will be a reason for buying the Mercedes EQC over its adversaries.

It’s good in other areas as well. It comes loaded with standard equipment, has a high quality interior and it has enough space and practicality for a family, even if it can’t do any of these things quite as well as the very best-in-class. Likewise, it’s impressively quick, hugely quiet and refined on the road and the motorway ride is very smooth. However, it’s not so comfy in a few other situations, it doesn’t handle with the same precision or keenness as most of its rivals, and it can’t quite match the best of them for driving range, either.

The fact remains, though, that the Mercedes-Benz EQC does a very solid job in every area, so it’s a good all-rounder. And, if tech is your thing, then it has the wow-factor to steal your heart, and more importantly for Mercedes, your custom. Not quite one of the best electric cars, but well worth considering. However, the EQC is now only available as a used car, so you will have to hunt down the spec you desire rather than simply order it.

Every EQC uses the same 408PS twin-motor powertrain, so the main decision is trim rather than performance.

The AMG Line Premium is the best pick. It combines the more distinctive AMG styling with useful technology missing from some cheaper cars, including smartphone integration, wireless phone charging, Burmester audio and augmented-reality navigation.

That makes it feel more complete than Sport or ordinary AMG Line versions, particularly because Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were not standard on every early EQC.

AMG Line Premium Plus adds a head-up display, 360-degree camera and memory settings for the powered seats. These are useful rather than essential, so it is worth choosing only when the price difference is small.

Used EQC prices start at around £16,000 for higher-mileage early examples.

Cleaner cars in desirable AMG Line specifications generally cost between £19,000 and £26,000. Younger, lower-mileage or heavily equipped Premium Plus versions can approach £30,000.

Those figures represent substantial depreciation from original prices of more than £66,000, with the most expensive versions exceeding £75,000 when new.

The EQC therefore offers a striking amount of performance, luxury and equipment for the money. A £20,000 example may have cost more than three times that figure only a few years earlier.

As an all-electric premium SUV, the Mercedes EQC has a very definite selection of rivals, albeit ones that range more in size than with other classes of car. It’s closest competitor in that regard is the Jaguar I-Pace. Yes, the Jag is designed to be fast and sporty, while the Mercedes-Benz EQC is a more sensible, relaxed choice, but they’re bang-on for size. The Audi e-tron, like the Merc, is more of a luxury car than a sports car, and it’s also appreciably bigger. Bigger still is the Tesla Model X. It’s also a sight more expensive and has seven seats.

If you find yourself in the front of the EQC, you’ll have no shortage of space. Not unless you live at the top of a beanstalk, anyway. If you find yourself relegated to the rear seats, though, you’ll find things rather more restricted. Don’t worry, most adult passengers will be fine, even fairly tall ones. 

But you have much less room that you will in the Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X, and a bit less than in the Jaguar. However, while head- and legroom are tighter, the Merc is actually better than the Jaguar I-Pace at seating three across the rear bench thanks to its wider cabin, and a pair of bulky child seats will fit easily.

Yes, the Tesla trounces the rest for overall practicality and versatility thanks to its seven seats and roomier cabin, but it is considerably bigger and more expensive than the others. Judged in isolation, the Mercedes EQC has a very decent 500-litre boot with enough space for a double buggy and a few soft bags. 

Granted, the space is a bit shallow, but it’s a good square shape and there’s no load lip that you’ll need to lug heavy items over. If you’re after ultimate capacity, though, both the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-Pace give you more.

The Mercedes EQC comes with folding rear seats as standard, and they’re split in a 40-20-40 arrangement for increased versatility. Dropping them is a doddle, too. Simply pull a catch and the spring-loaded seatbacks fling down quickly and easily, leaving a perfectly flat and flush load area. This increases the EQC's boot capacity to 1060-litres. 

At 4,762mm long, the EQC sits between compact electric SUVs and larger luxury models such as the original Audi e-tron.

Its 1,884mm body width makes it a substantial car on narrow roads. With the mirrors extended, it occupies more than two metres, so older car parks, tight garages and width restrictions require care.

The 1,622mm height provides a raised seating position without giving the EQC an especially tall or boxy profile.

Its rounded body makes the corners less obvious from the driver’s seat than they are in a squarer SUV. Parking sensors and the reversing camera therefore earn their keep.

Premium Plus adds a 360-degree camera, which is particularly valuable given the car’s width and restricted rear-quarter visibility.

Light steering makes low-speed manoeuvring straightforward, although the EQC’s weight is noticeable when changing direction or braking in confined spaces.

Just like in many other modern Mercs, the EQC’s cabin is dominated by two glass-fronted 10.25-inch screens that are mounted side-by-side in front of the driver. These take most of the car’s various functions, plus the information that would usually be presented on traditional analogue instruments, and delivers them all in one integrated unit.

The system is controlled by tapping and swiping the left-hand screen, or via a touchpad and shortcut buttons located between the front seats. The graphics are sharp and the menus have a logical layout, so despite the system being complex and having lots of functionality, it’s actually pretty easy to find your way around. 

The touchpad controller is a bit imprecise on the Mercedes-Benz EQC - and therefore distracting - to use on the move, though. However, you can also operate the system via a sophisticated voice control system that’s designed to recognise natural speech rather than specific commands, and happily, it works well.

Most of the infotainment functionality you’d expect is supported on all EQCs, including DAB radio, sat-nav, Bluetooth and a whole bunch of connected services. 

However, we reckon it’s a bit cheeky of Mercedes that Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t included on the two most basic versions, and you have to upgrade to pricey AMG Line Premium trim to get them. Doing so also brings a wireless phone charging plate, a Burmester surround sound audio system and augmented reality for your sat-nav. 

This overlays instruction graphics over a camera image of the road ahead of you, pointing out precisely where you need to go. It looks really cool, and it’s also really handy.

A luxury SUV needs to deliver a posh, sophisticated environment for its occupants, and in that regard, you won’t be disappointed by the Mercedes-Benz EQC. In the entry-level Sport model, the seats are upholstered with a (very convincing) man-made leather substitute, while the other versions all get genuine leather. 

All versions, meanwhile, get a dashboard that’s wrapped in the synthetic stuff, along with plenty of polished metal finishes and glossy black panelling. It all looks and feels impressively high-grade, while those infotainment screens inject a high-tech feel, too. 

If you’re really splitting hairs, though, the EQC's interior doesn’t feel quite as solid or substantial as the Audi e-tron’s, because pokes and prods of various bits and pieces result in a few more creaks and flexes. That said, the EQC is still a sight better than the Jaguar I-Pace on build quality, and it absolutely crucifies the Tesla Model X in that regard.

There’s no dizzying choice when it comes to power for your Mercedes-Benz EQC. All versions are electric, obviously, and all have exactly the same output. And, it’s quite an output, too. It’s twin electric motors combine to produce 408PS, and there’s torque of 760NM, and because the EQC is electric, this full torque figure is available the very instant that the motors start spinning. 

So, despite this car weighing in at two-and-a-half-tonnes, the Mercedes-Benz EQC will still charge (geddit?) from 0-62mph in just 5.1 seconds. Most hot hatches won’t match that, and more pertinently, neither will the Audi E-Tron. Other rivals, such as the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X, are faster still, but that’s likely to make zero difference to your buying decision, as drag races usually sit fairly low down on the average EV buyer’s to-do list.

The Mercedes-Benz EQC picks up speed on the move as strongly as it does from a standstill, and because there’s no gearbox (it’s just a single gear), the power delivery is smooth and uninterrupted.

Driven gently on your average road, the Mercedes-Benz EQC behaves quite well. The suspension is set up on the softer side of things, so it smothers small lumps and bumps pretty effectively, while the light-yet-precise steering makes life even easier when pootling around town. It feels stable and assured at a steady motorway cruise, too.

Things become a little different when the road - or your driving - become a bit more ragged, though. On rougher surfaces, with bigger bumps and potholes, the suspension starts to thump a little more, and the soft setup causes the body to bounce around more, which can get a little irritating. 

Find yourself on an undulating country road with the Mercedes-Benz EQC, and things can feel even wobblier. And, if you try and hustle the car along in any way, it quickly starts to protest.

The cocktail of tall bodywork, soft suspension and considerable weight means this isn’t a car that enjoys changing direction in a hurry. You’ll find that it leans over more than a Jaguar I-Pace, and runs out of grip earlier, while the steering doesn’t give you as much information, either. 

Most versions of the Mercedes-Benz EQC get exactly the same suite of safety systems. The package includes a respectable collection of airbags, various traction and stability aids, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, a blind spot monitor and a self-parking function with rear-view camera. 

Upgrade to the range-topping Mercedes-Benz EQC AMG Line Premium Plus, and you also get a head-up display and a 360-degree parking camera. No version gets a spare wheel, though: you have to make do with a sealant kit.

Various other pieces of clever safety kit were available, including a suite that effectively allows the car to drive itself under certain circumstances, but these were bundled up into an option pack that new car buyers had to pay extra for on all versions. The EQC was crash-tested by Euro NCAP and achieved the full five stars.

Most owners will install a 7kW wallbox charger, which will do the job in a much more palatable 11 hours. And if you do it overnight (which you probably will) when electricity is cheaper, that’s likely to cost you about a fiver.

Meanwhile, most public DC rapid chargers will boost your battery’s charge from 10% to 80% in around 40 minutes, and because the EQC uses the CCS (Combined Charging System) socket standard, it’s compatible with most connector types currently in circulation. For AC charging, a four-metre Type 2 cable is provided as standard.

The EQC originally came with a three-year, unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty. Its high-voltage battery was covered for eight years or 100,000 miles, subject to Mercedes-Benz’s terms and battery-capacity conditions.

Most used examples will now be outside the main vehicle warranty, although many should retain part of their battery cover.

Every Mercedes-Benz EQC sits in insurance group 50.

That is the highest group and reflects the car’s performance, original value, electrical complexity and potentially expensive repair costs. Premiums may therefore remain high despite the EQC’s much lower used purchase price.

You'll pay £200 in VED for the EQC per year, while every EQC had an original list price above the Expensive Car Supplement threshold when new. This means some younger examples may therefore still attract the supplement of £440 per year, so its worth checking.