Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 test drive: No holding back

The Driven

The Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 4Matic will be added to nine showroom floors around Australia this coming Monday, and to give you a taste of the German car maker’s first foray into electric mobility we were invited to experience and review the vehicle in its debut Australian drive day.

There’s a well known saying: you get what you pay for. And to put it frankly, with a Mercedes-Benz you certainly do pay: In this case it $137,900 before on-road costs, but this all-electric SUV offers all the bells and whistles, even if you do need to pay extra for some.

The EQC 400 is styled with the signature Mercedes-Benz high-end AMG brand, and is available in 7 standard colours as well as three “designo” extras. We take the brilliant blue with the standard but comfortable grey interior.

Comfort and spaciousness have been first and foremost on the minds of the EQC 400 designers in the interior, ensuring the first experience of the EQC 400 has all the hallmarks of the usual Mercedes-Benz luxury.

And the company credited with the invention of the internal combustion engine, is also keen to underpin the environmental credentials of the EQC 400 with a range of internal initiatives including upholstery made of 100% recycled PET plastic bottles, to renewable materials such as hemp, wool and something called kenaf.

There is a paper honeycomb used in the load compartment floor, and all in all Mercedes-Benz packs some 100 sustainably-minded components into the EQC 400 depending on options chosen.

But it is what lies underneath that demands most attention.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…