Mercedes-Benz EQC Review & Prices

The Mercedes EQC was one of the first posh electric cars on sale, beaten to the punch only slightly by the similarly-specified Jaguar I-Pace. Like the Jaguar, the EQC started to feel pretty old, pretty fast as newer and higher-tech competitors came on stream, but like Grandpa Simpson, even though it’s old, it still has the capacity to entertain.

The EQC isn’t officially part of the Mercedes lineup anymore, as it’s been partly replaced by the (more expensive, but much-longer-ranged) EQE SUV, and it will finally be supplanted later this year by the new all-electric GLC. However, it’s a solid second-hand EV purchase and well worth a look.

A big part of the EQC’s appeal is its styling. Whereas BMW really swung for the boundary with the iX and Jaguar tried to break boundaries with the I-Pace, the EQC looks pretty much like a regular Mercedes with a few EV-styling tweaks. For the more conservative second hand market, that probably plays better.

Mercedes EQC: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 245-254 miles
Efficiency: 2.7-2.8 miles per kWh
Battery size: 80kWh
Max charge speed: 110kW
Charge time AC: 7hr 30mins, 10-100% at 11kW
Charge time DC: 40 mins, 10-80% at 110kW
Charge port location: Right side rear
Power outputs: 402hp

The EQC’s interior borrows the big iPad-style screen layout from smaller models such as the EQB and EQA (although it would be more accurate to say that they borrow from it…) and the cabin layout is neat, tidy, and easy to find your way around.

The infotainment system is actually quite simple to use, and the menu layout is easily understood. The screen itself is a touchscreen, of course, but there’s also a laptop-style trackpad on the centre console (which is, in truth, a bit too fiddly for its own good) and the ‘Hey, Mercedes’ voice control system too. Thankfully, the EQC is from a time before everyone started to remove physical buttons for air conditioning and so on, so the cabin is much easier to find your way around than many more modern alternatives.

However, while the buttons are good, the overall infotainment system lags behind the likes of BMW and Audi’s more recent efforts, not to mention Mercedes itself, which has one of the best big-screen layouts in the new EQE SUV.

One ageless aspect of the EQC is roominess, though. It’s plenty spacious for four adults, although being based on the same platform as the old petrol/diesel GLC does mean that there’s no flat floor in the rear. It’s a very comfy cabin though, helped by a well-judged ride quality that eases you over bumps.

The exceptional build quality also helps on long journeys, making the EQC feel like a very reassuring place to be, and there’s very little in the way of wind or tyre noise. The EQC might have been Merc’s first modern electric car, but you can see the lengths the company went to, to get things right the first time.

There’s four-wheel drive, thanks to two electric motors, and while some of the safety kit isn’t quite as sophisticated as more modern Mercs, it’s still impressively advanced even six years on from its launch with adaptive cruise, and lane-keeping steering.

Officially the range of the EQC is 255 miles, but to be honest it’ll be more like 200, especially if you’re putting many motorway miles under the wheels. The maximum DC charging speed of 110kW has also been well and truly surpassed by models like the Audi Q6 e-tron, the BMW iX, and even the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Still, the EQC has useable everyday range, and if you’re mostly charging at home the fast-charging thing is less of an issue.

All things considered, this remains a solid choice among electric SUVs, so if you want the best price check out Carwow’s used Mercedes EQCs from our network of trusted dealers. You can also see other used Mercedes stock, and when it’s time to sell your car, Carwow can help with that too.

The EQC was always priced quite closely with the BMW iX, which in some ways was a bit of a problem as the BMW is more of a purpose-built EV with less petrol-powered compromises in its structure, and considerably more range. The Audi Q8 e-tron (or e-tron Quattro as it was originally called) was a bit chunkier than the Mercedes, but while it had similar overall performance and range at first, Audi updated the Q8 more than Mercedes did the EQC, so by the end it was a much better all-rounder with much faster charging.

The Jaguar I-Pace is probably the closest alternatives to the EQC — both were launched around the same time, and both have similar range and performance which wasn’t much upgraded during the models’ lifetimes. The Jag is more fun to drive, but the Mercedes feels much better built and is more conventional looking.

The Mercedes EQC’s quiet and relaxing to drive, although you do feel the weight of its heavy batteries in corners

In town

The Mercedes EQC is a surprisingly good town car for a relatively large SUV.

A lot of that is down to the silent electric powertrain, which gives the EQC effortless performance off the line thanks to its instant thrust and four-wheel drive grip. The EQC’s brakes aren’t as grabby as they are in some SUVs and you can set the regen to slow the car when you take your foot off the throttle.

The suspension is also pretty good at isolating you from poor road surfaces below. That being said, you do hear larger bumps being transmitted into the cabin and the EQC’s hefty weight means it can crash down on its suspension over speed humps. Low-speed manoeuvring is a mixed bag. Okay, so the large A-pillar and small rear window hamper your view, but the steering is light and the Mercedes has a tighter turning circle than either the Audi Q8 e-tron or BMW iX.

All EQCs come with parking sensors and a reversing camera, but for a full 360-degree camera you’ll need to specify the Premium Plus model, which also has auto-park.

On the motorway

Out on the motorway, the Mercedes remains very quiet. Sure, you do notice a little wind flutter around the wind mirrors and a tiny bit of tyre roar but that’s mostly because there’s no engine noise whatsoever.

Adding to the EQC’s waft-ability is the suspension which smooths out larger bumps very well, although it can fidget slightly over smaller road imperfections. If you regularly spend hours on the motorway, do yourself a favour and specify the optional Driving Assistance pack which can accelerate, brake and steer the car automatically. The pack also boosts safety by adding a blind-spot-warning system and Evasive Steering Assist, which can take control of the car to steer you around an imminent collision.

Twisty road

Mercedes didn’t design the EQC with hard cornering in mind, but it remains tidy in bends, only struggling through corners when its sizeable weight overawes the tyres' grip. The Jaguar I-Pace and BMW iX3 are better when the road goes bendy, but the EQC is by no means out of its depth.

While the Mercedes isn’t exactly agile on country roads, it is quick, the instant power of the electric motors means you can slingshot out of bends and the car’s four-wheel drive system gives it plenty of grip on slippery roads.

The Mercedes EQC has a roomy back seat and a boot that can cater for family needs but it isn’t the most spacious EV of its type

Every part of the EQC’s driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, so you’re not going to struggle to get comfortable. As a result, getting the angle of the backrest just right is easy and cranking up the height of the seat doesn’t feel like a mini workout. You also get features not offered in lesser EVs including adjustable thigh support and four-way lumbar adjustment.

With all these variables, you’d think a seat memory function would be a given but it’s only fitted to the top-of-the-range Premium Plus model. So you’ll need this top-end specification if you want to return the seat to your driving position at the touch of a button.

Mercedes has been more generous with interior storage. The EQC has door bins that’ll swallow a 1.5-litre bottle of water, the glovebox is a decent size, you get two cup holders on the centre console and more storage under the front-centre armrest.

Sit in the back and you’ll find Mercedes’ trademark aeroplane-style pockets on the backs of the front seats, door bins that are slightly smaller than the ones in front and a centre armrest with two more cup holders.

Space in the back seat

The Mercedes EQC is based on the previous-generation GLC so you don’t get the feeling of palatial interior space you get in a BMW iX, which was designed from the ground up to be electric.

Having said that, space in the back is still pretty decent. You get plenty of headroom and a reasonable amount of knee room. The Mercedes back seats aren’t set oddly low, as you’ll find in some EVs, so your thighs are nicely supported by the seat cushions.

Boot space

The Mercedes EQC’s boot is smaller than an Audi Q8 e-tron’s (500 litres versus 660) but it is still very well designed with a large load opening and a low load lip that makes it easy to hulk awkward luggage into the back. You also get storage under the floor – handy if you want to hide a soft bag.

You yank a couple of buttons in the boot to drop the Mercedes’ rear seats and they fold flat to make it easier to load awkward cargo like an adult’s bike. The uneven floor in the Audi means it is tricker to make full use of its space with the seats down.

Impressive large infotainment screens, although the voice activation can’t quite match the best smartphones

Like any Mercedes SUV, the EQC’s interior is dominated by a pair of large infotainment screens that are housed under a single pane of glass.

It can be operated directly using the centre touchscreen which has large icons that are relatively easy to press on the move, but you also get a touchpad controller in between the front seats, while touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel control the digital instrument binnacle.

The whole lot is powered by Mercedes’ MBUX operating system meaning most of the car’s system is voice-activated, so saying “Hey Mercedes, I’m cold” instructs the car to turn up the heater.

It’s a pretty good system, though not as accurate as your smartphone’s voice activation which you can use on the car’s big screen via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Mercedes has given the EQC various touches that mark its cabin out from conventional models. You get high-tech-looking air vents with metallic touches that imitate copper wiring and electric blue highlights. The ribbed trims that circle the front seats are supposed to emulate the cooling fins on electrical components.

The result is a cabin that feels better built and looks classier than a Tesla Model X, however, an Audi Q8 e-tron’s cabin feels even more solid and the BMW iX’s ultra-modern design is more striking.

The Mercedes EQC is powered by two electric motors – one on the front axle, the other at the back – which combine to produce 402hp, getting the Mercedes from 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds. They’re hooked up to an 80kWh battery that gives the EQC an official range of up to 255 miles under the official testing cycle.

The Mercedes EQC was one of the first EVs which could preheat its battery to give you its maximum DC charging speeds straight off the bat, but the top charging rate of 110kW looks pretty measly today when even a humble Hyundai can manage 270kW. You can recharge the battery from 10-80% in around 40 minutes at those charging speeds, whereas newer EVs have gotten that time down below 20 minutes in the right circumstances. At home, it will take around 13 hours using a 7kW wall-mounted charger.

On Carwow’s four-mile motorway test, the EQC chewed through electricity at a rate of 2.3 mi/kWh slightly pipping the Audi e-tron and BMW iX. Having said that, the EQC could only manage a maximum in-town range of 192 miles – one mile better than the Audi e-tron can manage, but some way off the 242 miles posted by the top-of-the-range BMW iX.

On a more positive note, the EQC – like every EV of its time – is exempt from paying road tax.

The Mercedes EQC was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2019 and was awarded five stars, posting scores of 96% for adult protection and 90% for child occupant protection. Standard safety kit includes automatic emergency braking that works inside and outside of town and can detect pedestrians, cyclists and other cars.

You also get Mercedes’ Urban Guard alarm system fitted as standard, which includes tow-away protection and an interior motion sensor. A three-year vehicle tracking subscription is also included.

You can expect the Mercedes EQC to be more reliable than one of the firm’s petrol or diesel models thanks to its electric motors having fewer moving parts. Maintenance should also be cheaper because the EQC’s regenerative brakes mean there’s less pad and disc wear and you don’t need to worry about expensive oil changes either.

The Mercedes comes with a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty, while the battery is covered for 100,000 miles or eight years. It’s reassuring to know because the EQC has been subject to several recalls covering things like faulty wiring harnesses, corroded battery housings and broken side impact sensors.

The EQC didn’t feature in the most recent Driver Power Top 50 Cars To Own list, but the GLE SUV actually topped the list, and the current C-Class was the fifth-best-rated car, so that speaks volumes as to Mercedes’ recent build quality and customer service.

If you’re buying a second hand EQC, make sure it comes with a full battery health check so that you know what condition it’s in before buying.