Mercedes EQC 400: Autogefuehl review. Comparable with AMG GLC 43, but range ~ 350 km [video]

The Autogefuehl channel tested the Mercedes EQC 400 against the Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X. According to the reviewer, the car looks alive and the interior materials are of the highest quality in the Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic vs AMG. GLC 43 comparison, electric EQC could be better. However, the power consumption during the test was quite low, although the driver clearly did not want to injure the car.

Mercedes EQC 400 - technical data

Let's start with a reminder. The technical characteristics of the Mercedes EQC 400 are as follows: battery with a capacity of 80 kWh (it is not known whether this is useful or total capacity), to take into account about 330-360 kilometers in mixed mode [calculations www.elektrowoz.pl; official declaration = 417 km WLTP].

Two motors, one for each axle, have a combined power 300 kW (408 hp) and they offer a total of 760 Nm of torque... In the most basic configuration Price Mercedes EQC in Poland - from PLN 328, i.e. a car is several thousand zlotys more expensive than a similar option in Germany - and this po taking into account the difference in VAT rates.

> Mercedes EQC: PRICE in Poland from PLN 328 [officially], i.e. more expensive than in the West.

The car belongs to D-SUV class, But 4,76 meters long (longer than the GLC, shorter than the Audi e-tron, almost the same as the Tesla Model Y) weighs 2,4 tons, the batteries respond to a weight of 650 kilograms. For comparison, a Tesla Model 3 battery with a capacity of 80,5 kWh weighs 480 kilograms.

The first curiosity compared to electric competitors is the drive. The car is equipped with two electric motors, but the main engine is located on the front axle - it most often drives the car. This allows for better energy recovery during regenerative braking and does not reduce vehicle performance: Mercedes EQC accelerates from 100 to 5,1 km / h in XNUMX seconds... The AMG rival GLC 43 accelerates from 100 to 4,9 km / h in XNUMX seconds.

sign EQC400 it is not just a measure of strength. It is more of a combination of power, range and other performance characteristics of an electric Mercedes compared to its combustion counterparts. Therefore, the unofficially announced Mercedes EQC with all-wheel drive may carry the designation "EQC 300", despite the same battery capacity. Let us add, however, that we are only guessing here ...

Mercedes EQC 400 opening and key

The car key is the same as in other newer Mercedes models. Unlocking the bolts is more interesting using a smartphone equipped with an NFC module. It is enough to bring it to the car door handle to open the car. The reviewer did not even mention the possibility of opening the car online (like in Tesla) or using Bluetooth technology (like in Tesla and Polestar). So we won't find these technologies in the car.

interior

In the interior and seat trim, the manufacturer offers a large selection of quality materials - there are many options with synthetic materials, but it is possible to order genuine leather. Tesla has already completely abandoned the latter. All seats have additional lateral support and rose gold colored air vents are standard.

The driver was impressed by the quality of the materials, especially the brand new material on the right side of the cab.

The driver is 1,86 meters tall and has a few centimeters above his head, despite the panoramic roof. The central tunnel is not too close, so the driver does not feel pressed against the car. At the wheel, it seems to a person that he is driving a car somewhere between a crossover and a tall SUV. The position is slightly lower than that of the Mercedes GLC.

LCD screens with counters are standard and cannot be converted to analog. Both displays are 10,25 inches in size and are responsible for most of the car's functions. The air conditioner control panel is located under the vents in the center; it is in the form of traditional switches and buttons.

Mercedes EQC supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay when phones are connected via USB. It is currently not possible to use this function wirelessly. In addition, the car displays the direction of energy flow, supports FM / DAB radio stations, etc. The built-in navigation uses Here technology, so it looks less attractive than Google Maps. However, it has a base of charging stations and allows you to pave routes to them.

Audio system and rear seat

The sound system is good, according to Autogefuehl, but not as good as in the C- or E-class. There is quite a lot of space in the back seat, even when the driver is tall. This applies to both head space and knee space. Four adults will travel in this car quite comfortably.

The rear seat has Isofix mounts for two child seats, as well as an armrest. However, using a platform also used in combustion vehicles means that the vehicle has a tunnel in the middle. This feature, combined with the narrow fifth passenger seat, makes it the fifth additional person will feel moderately comfortable in the car.

Luggage compartment capacity Mercedes EQC

The trunk of the Mercedes EQC is 500 liters with a length of 1 meter, a width of just over 1 meter and a height of 35 to 60 centimeters. For comparison, the Mercedes GLC offers 550 hp. The floor is at the height of the loading threshold, but there is still a space underneath, divided by compartments.

The space under the front hood is quite amazing. In small electric vehicles, it is usually occupied by the engine, air conditioning, inverter and electronics. In Tesla, under the front hood, we always find a small luggage compartment (front). In the Mercedes EQC, the front seat is… built.

Towing

The car is equipped with an automatically folding hook with a pulling force of up to 1,8 tons. It is one of the few electric vehicles that allows trailers to be towed. However, you should not tune in for too long trips, since the range of a car with additional traction weight can sharply decrease:

> Electric vehicles with the possibility of installing a towbar and a power reserve of up to 300 km [TABLE]

Charger and charger

The car should theoretically support direct current (DC) charging with a power of 110 kW... In real tests, the values ​​are slightly different, but this will be subject to different material.

When connected to an AC wall charger the maximum power we can use in the Mercedes EQC is 7,4 kW (230 V * 32 A * 1 phase = 7 W = ~ 360 kW). The electric Mercedes does not currently support three-phase (7,4-f) charging, so the Audi e-tron, Tesla Model 3, or even the BMW i3 will charge with more power.

Driving experience

When accelerating and driving at speeds up to 80-90 km / h, the car interior seemed perfectly damped. According to the driver, the car is livelier than the AMG GLC 43, and the electronic torque control on both engines ensures that the car does not lose traction, even when driving off hard on wet roads. One word on comfort: there is only an adaptive suspension in the car, there is no way to order an air suspension.

An interesting feature we slow down as we approach the traffic jamand the driver will still try to accelerate. The Automatic Traction Control (ACC) mechanism will also reduce our speed when we reach a roundabout too quickly – even if the cruise control is set to a higher setting. Both mechanisms work with GPS navigation and real-time traffic information.

range

When driving very economically at 100-40-80 km/h (constant driving -> decelerating at the roundabout -> constant driving), the energy consumption of the Mercedes EQC was 14 kWh/100 km. The driver says that at 100 km / h and a little acceleration, it jumped to 20 kWh / 100 km, which should give 400 kilometers of effective range. However, the latter figure comes from simply converting consumption to battery capacity - and it's currently not entirely clear whether 80kWh is fully available to the user. We trust these calculations in moderation..

At the end of the test, slightly more realistic data was provided. According to the WLTP procedure, the energy consumption should be 25-22 kWh / 100 km. The testers reached a consumption of 23 kWh / 100 km, they drove on hilly terrain in temperatures of a few (8-9) degrees Celsius, but they did not drive too hard. In these conditions the actual range of the Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic will be less than 350 kilometers..

Regenerative operation (regenerative braking) can be helpful when optimizing energy consumption. Cars. What happens then? Well, based on the navigation data, the Mercedes EQC adjusts the regenerative braking force in such a way that the driver gets to the chosen place at a safe/acceptable speed in the given area. Of course, these modes can also be controlled by the driver: D- (“D minus minus”) is the strong energy recovery mode, while D+ is essentially “idling”.

Summation

The reviewer liked the car, although not enthusiastic (but we don’t know what an admiring German looks like, that’s a fact). He liked the quality of materials and technical parameters (overclocking). Compared to the Audi e-tron, the car turned out to be a little smaller, but the AMG GLC 43 is competitive, if someone does not have to drive tens of thousands of kilometers a year. Driving fast has not been tested at all – fines in Norway are very high – and in terms of power consumption and range, the Mercedes EQC performed poorly. The reviewer did not go into details, as if he did not want to offend the producer.

Worth Watching:

All pictures: (c) Autogefuehl / YouTube

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