Mercedes EQC long-term test: report 5

The car Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus Run by Jim Holder, editorial director

Why it’s here We want to discover if Mercedes' first mainstream EV is a match for the opposition, worthy of its near-£80,000 price tag and fits into everyday life

Needs to Deliver a wow factor befitting its price, without any limitations resulting from its mode of propulsion that compromise its everyday usability

Miles covered 1987 Price £74,610 Target Price £74,610 Price as tested £77,200 Official range 232 miles Test range 199 miles

18 December 2020 – What gives the EQC the wow factor?

What gives a car the wow factor?

For some, it’s just the name; turn up somewhere in a Ferrari or Tesla and people want to ask questions.

For others, the colour can be enough. Red Ferraris and green Astons seem to work, as do yellow Lamborghinis and orange McLarens.

Then there are beautiful cars, which just turn your head for their aesthetics – I’m thinking of the Jaguar F-Type but you’ll have your own ideas – and cars that demand your attention simply because of their muscular presence, be it via steroidal styling or a throbbing V8, on which counts cars by Mercedes-AMG always score well.

So what is it that makes the Mercedes EQC pull crowds wherever it goes? After all, the Mercedes name is ubiquitous these days, the colour dignified rather than attention-grabbing, the looks largely just modified from a family SUV silhouette and the noise it makes is notable only for being largely absent. 

After a couple of months I’ve pinned it down to a few details, starting with those rather fancy 21-inch wheels – a standard option – which are oversized for the size of car yet somehow entirely appropriate. No question, they give the EQC presence.

So, too, does the oversized front badge, which also seems at odds with the grace of silent electric car travel, yet nevertheless works when it comes to making a point. Undoubtedly the way that it is framed by the the sleek and distinctive headlights helps, as does the fact that they illuminate at night in a sequence to rival a 1980s light spectacular.

Finally, there’s the metallic step plates along the sills, although these are the only detail about which I have reservations. While they give the EQC a rugged, or perhaps blingy, edge, they also like to play host to plenty of muck and grime, locating it ideally to adorn your trousers every time you slide out.

It’s the details, then, that make a difference, and which prompt adults and children alike to stop and stare, but wowed rather than (to date, at least) jealous. While we can all make our own judgements on whether that’s a good thing, to my mind it gives the Mercedes EQC a quite special kudos.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read more on our long-term Mercedes EQC >>

Read about more long-term test cars >>