Mercedes-Benz’s first full EV to go on sale in Singapore has arrived, with the EQC set to begin the brand’s electric revolution here; prices start at S$304,888 with COE

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Photos: Mercedes-Benz

SINGAPORE

Mercedes-Benz’s first full production electric vehicle (EV) to go on sale in Singapore, the EQC, has made its long-awaited local debut, with the car being unveiled on 17 June via an online launch event.

The EQC is not actually the brand’s first EV, with that honour going to the B 250e from 2015, but that car was never offered for sale in Singapore, so the EQC marks the first time that Mercedes-Benz has a full EV that customers can buy here.

The car also marks the introduction of the Mercedes-EQ sub-brand here, which is the Stuttgart carmaker’s umbrella for its electric offerings, and the EQC will be joined by a series of other electric models, like the EQA and EQS, over the coming months. Technically, the car’s name is ‘EQC by Mercedes-EQ’ but let’s stick to Mercedes-Benz EQC for now.

The EQC was first introduced globally in 2019 and we test drove it at its global debut, but Claudius Steinhoff, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Singapore, insists that the timing of the car’s launch in Singapore, two years later, is appropriate, given the Government’s recent push towards electric vehicle adoption.

“We’re supportive of Singapore’s plans to encourage the take-up of EV ownership here, and we think that the timing is right for us to introduce this car in order to take advantage of the benefits available,” he said.

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Two models will be offered for the EQC at launch, with the EQC 400 4Matic Electric Art kicking things off at S$304,888 with COE. The other model available is the EQC 400 4Matic AMG Line (below), which retails for S$322,888 including COE. The latter features an AMG-exclusive styling kit that includes an AMG-specific grille, unique alloy wheel designs, and a sporty AMG Line interior with stainless steel pedals and carbon fibre trimmings.

Both models are powered by a dual-motor setup with an electric motor at each axle to drive both sets of wheels. The total combined output is rated at 408hp and 760Nm of torque, and allows the SUV to go from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds. Fully charged, Mercedes claims that the EQC is able to offer a range of up to 423km, which is just about par with rivals such as the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi E-Tron. BMW also has a similarly-sized challenger in the form of the iX3 BEV SUV.

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The EQC’s 80kWh lithium-ion battery takes about 7.5 hours to be fully charged up on a regular 11kW AC charger. But it can also take up to 110kW of fast DC charging, which lets the EQC achieve an 80 percent charge in 40 minutes. In Singapore though, the fastest DC public chargers currently run at 50kW, so that time is extrapolated to about an hour and a half when translated to our local context.

The EQC is based on the same architecture as the company’s GLC mid-sized crossover SUV, and therefore offer similar levels of practicality. The front end design is highlighted by the thin LED lighting strip that runs across the top of the grille. As mentioned earlier, the AMG Line model gets its own unique grille, and additional AMG-spec styling elements to give it a more dynamic look.

Inside, the EQC bears a now-familiar Mercedes look, with the set of dual HD 10.25-inch screens incorporating the digital instrument panel and infotainment system spanning the dashboard. The voice-activated Mercedes Benz User Experience (MBUX) system is also present here, and integrates a few EQC-specific functions, such as indicating the amount of range remaining and the car’s charge status.

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As an SUV targeted at families, the EQC offers an extensive stack of safety features. They include Active Brake Assist which incorporates autonomous emergency braking and can detect both moving and stationary obstacles. There is also the optional Driving Assistance package, which adds adaptive cruise control and blind spot warning, among other functions.

The EQC plays a major part in Mercedes-Benz’s Ambition2039 vision, which sees the brand target to have a completely carbon neutral new car fleet by 2039. The aim is to emphasise sustainability through every part of the vehicle production process, from the supply chain to its factories. The shorter term goal for Mercedes-Benz is to have more than 50 percent of its global sales be either plug-in hybrids or full electric vehicles by 2030, and the brand is hoping that the EQC will kick start that revolution.

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