Mercedes-Benz has launched its all-electric SUV, the EQC, in India at an introductory price of ₹99.30 lakh (ex-showroom, India). The introductory price is only valid for the first 50 customers. With this launch, Mercedes becomes the first luxury automaker to introduce an all-electric car in India, with rival firms such as Audi and Jaguar are also readying their own EV offerings.
The EQC will initially be available in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, and via the brand’s online portal. Based on the GLC, the EQC gets extensively reworked styling in a bid to ensure it stands out. With a unique grille and headlamp treatment, punctuated by an LED bar, a few blue accents, and tail-lamps that are joined by a light strip, there’s enough to set it apart from the rest of Mercedes’ SUVs. The futuristic-design theme continues on the inside. Although it is typical new-age Mercedes, with its dual-screen infotainment and instrumentation display, details like the bronze inserts in the air-con vents, and unique seat design set it apart as an EV.
Equipment on offer includes the latest MBUX infotainment system with connected tech, 64 colour ambient lighting, a sunroof, adaptive LED headlamps, seven airbags, Attention Assist and more. Power comes from two asynchronous electric motors, one on each axle. They produce a combined 408hp and 765Nm of torque and come paired with a floor-mounted 85kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The set-up gives the electric SUV a WLTP-certified 400km range on a single charge. Charging times vary depending on the electrical supply, with a full charge from a standard 15A (3.4kW) domestic socket taking 21 hours, or 10 hours with the 7.5kW wall-box charger provided by Mercedes. These charging times can be cut down considerably using the network of 50kW DC fast chargers (90min claimed) that are slowly coming up across different cities. Owners will be able to access over 100 EQ charging points in 48 cities across the country.
