German automaker Mercedes-Benz has offered a sneak peek of its first all-electric SUV – the EQ C – ahead of the car’s September 4 world debut at the 2018 Paris motor show.
In comments accompanying a very short video teaser posted on Instagram on Monday, the Daimler owned car company said it was “flipping the switch” on the first all-electric model of its new EQ brand, and offered a glimpse of the SUV’s “very first design detail.”
The specs of the EQ C are yet to be confirmed, but according to the website, the concept version of the “sporty” looking SUV coupé features a “scalable” battery starting at 70kWh, a range of 500km, the ability to go from 0-100km in five seconds, and the option to be charged at home by via “induction” (see image below) or a wallbox, and via fast chargers on the road.
Interestingly, the interior of the concept version of the EQ C has four individual seats, rather than two in the front and a three-person bench seat in the back.
According to the website, the EV architecture is “scalable in every respect” and can be implemented across all models.
“The wheelbase, track width and all other system components – in particular, the batteries – are variable thanks to the modular system design. The vehicle concept is optimized to meet all requirements of a family of battery-electric models. The basic architecture is suitable for SUVs, limousines, coupés, cabriolets and other model series.”
The all-electric SUV offering from Mercedes – which is expected to become available on the European market in 2019 – is the latest in a number of prestige all-wheel drive battery electric offerings, including the Tesla Model X, the Jaguar i-PACE and the BMW iX3.
In the mainstream market segment, Hyundai and Kia are also offering their own electric SUV models – the Kona and Niro, respectively.
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