Mercedes-Benz EQC Review 2024

There’s currently a very impressive stable of electric premium SUVs on the market, each of which takes on a slightly different role and delivers its own unique character, but the Mercedes-Benz EQC is a worthy adversary to any of them. The car looks and feels sophisticated, and it’s supremely quiet and refined on the road, feels suitably posh inside and comes packed with technology. Okay, so some rivals like the Audi Q8 e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace are more fun, more practical, more comfortable, more sturdily made and have a longer driving range, but the EQC is a very tempting package nonetheless. Read on for our full review of the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

Typical, isn’t it? You wait years for an all-electric prestige SUV, and then several come along at once.

Okay, granted, the Tesla Model X has been around since 2016, but all the other rivals for the EQC - those being the BMW iX3 and Jaguar I-Pace - came along at a very similar time to Mercedes’ entrant in the class.

So how does the Mercedes EQC mark itself out from the competition? Well, it’s 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 in the rest.

The Jaguar has the sporty side of things sewn up thanks to its eye-widening speed and sharp handling, whereas the Audi Q8 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 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.

The Mercedes EQC is 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 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. Well worth considering.

Looking for a second opinion? Why not read heycar's Mercedes-Benz EQC review.

While the Audi Q8 e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X are all fairly similar in principle, they’re actually rather different in size. That means marked differences in the amount of space they provide.

If you find yourself in the front of the Mercedes EQC, you’ll have no shortage of space. 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 than you will in the Audi and Tesla, and a bit less than in the Jaguar. However, while head- and legroom are tighter, the Merc is actually better than the Jag 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 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, the Jag gives you more.

In the entry-level Sport model, the Mercedes EQC's 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 the infotainment screens inject a high-tech feel, too. 

If you’re really splitting hairs, though, the Mercedes EQC's interior doesn’t feel quite as solid or substantial as the Audi Q4 or Q8 e-trons', because pokes and prods of various bits and pieces result in a few more creaks and flexes. That said, the Mercedes EQC is still a sight better bet than the Jaguar I-Pace on build quality, and it absolutely crucifies the Tesla Model X in that regard.

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. 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 - 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 it works well.

Most of the infotainment functionality you’d expect is supported on all Mercedes 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, 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.

At the time of writing, prices for brand new Mercedes EQCs kicked off at just over £74,000 and topped out at just over £81,000. Compare those with equivalent prices for the Audi Q8 e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace, and they are more expensive to put yourself at the wheel of the Mercedes. However, a Tesla Model X is yet more pricey, though it is also a larger car.

If you’re planning to buy on finance, which most buyers will, then it’s always worth checking the manufacturer’s website for deals and promotions. At the time of writing, Mercedes was offering a finance deal for an EQC with a monthly payment of £649, though this was for a car from existing stock, so you would likely pay more if you ordered one to your exact requirements.

Obviously, much of the appeal of an electric vehicle is that electricity is much cheaper than petrol or diesel, and if you charge it up overnight (which you probably will) when electricity is cheaper, then that charge is likely to cost you less than a fiver.

We’d never recommend trying to charge your high-capacity electric car from a regular three-pin domestic socket for fear of frying your home’s circuits, but even if you did try, a full charge would take upwards of 40 hours, which is rather ludicrous.

Most owners will install a 7kW wallbox charger, which will do the job in a much more palatable 11 hours. Meanwhile, most public DC rapid chargers will boost your battery’s charge from 10% to 80% in around 40 minutes.

What’s more, these are figures gleaned from laboratory tests rather than in the real world, so that’s not a figure you should ever be relying on in everyday life. In perfect conditions, we reckon you can expect a maximum of around 200-220 miles, considerably less if it’s cold.

In terms of reliability, premium German brands don’t tend to do as well in the various reliability surveys as many would expect, usually figuring towards the bottom end of the standings. That’s also true of Mercedes, although it should be noted that it usually outperforms bitter rival Audi, as well as Jaguar.

Driven gently on the average road, the Mercedes 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, and things can feel even wobblier. If you try and hustle the car along in any way, it quickly starts to protest.

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.

There’s no dizzying choice when it comes to power for your Mercedes 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 Mercedes 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, it’ll still dart from 0-62mph in just 5.1 seconds. Most hot hatches won’t match that, and more pertinently, neither will the Audi Q8 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.

The car 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.

Most versions of the Mercedes 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 AMG Line Premium Plus trim, 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 are available, including a suite that effectively allows the car to drive itself under certain circumstances, but these are bundled up into an option pack that costs extra on all versions.

The Mercedes EQC has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, and achieved the full five stars.

All three trim levels of the Mercedes-Benz EQC can manage an unbraked trailer with a weight of up to 750kg. Use a braked trailer and it can haul up to 1800kg.

You can also opt for trailer coupling with ESP stability assist to ward off any snaking from a caravan or trailer. 

The EMercedes EQCs trim structure kicks off with the AMG Line model, and this provides a decent amount of kit including 20-inch alloy wheels, keyless go, climate control, cruise control, a powered tailgate, heated leather-effect seats, and ambient lighting in 64 colours.

AMG Line Premium is next up with 21-inch alloys, glass sunroof, smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and Mercedes' Air Balance that fragrances and filters the cabin air.

The AMG Line Premium Plus has its own 21-inch alloy wheel design, head-up display, parking package, and 12-way electrci front seat adjustment. It also comes with MBUX INterior Assistant, which isn't a virtual butler but tech that lets you use hand gestures to work some functions on the infotainment system.