Photo: Mercedes-Benz
At last year's Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz announced it was intensifying its EV efforts by launching a new sub-brand called EQ (you know, like an IQ but with an E) that was to number up to ten different models by 2025.
The moment was given even more weight by the introduction of the Generation EQ Concept car, an all-electric SUV that should become the first of the bunch to hit production as soon (or as late, depending on how you look at the problem) 2019.
Mercedes-Benz claimed the EQ Concept featured a lot of traits that would be carried over to the production version, with the blue neon lights at the front being one of them. This solution is seen as a good way of making a smooth transition from the designs incorporating a radiator grille we've seen over the past century to the new status quo which doesn't require one anymore.
Well, it remains to be seen how much of the futuristic SUV will still be found on the actual vehicle we'll be able to buy, but one thing is certain: the EQ isn't your typical dark-windowed show car: not only does it have a complete interior, but it actually drives.
A journalist from the British magazine Autocar had the chance to ride in the passenger seat, and while the impressions you can get by seating beside the driver are limited, they're still more than the rest of us can muster.
As you would expect from a car at this stage of development, not everything is sorted out at the moment. The 21-inch wheels and a suspension system that's still in work meant there was no suppleness to the ride, something Mercedes is definitely going to address for the final product.
The powertrain is still a partial mystery, but we do know it gets two electric motors that develop a combined power of over 400 hp. The system is said to be able to switch the power from one axle to another at will. It's too early for performance figures but the electric SUV should reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in less than five seconds.
When it does enter production, the EQ Concept will be named EQ C, mirroring the nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz's traditional line of products. That means future models include an EQ A, an EQ E, and the range-topping EQ S.
But if the EQ Concept was less than impressive on the road, the same can't be said about its interior. The quality of the design and finishing are said to be on the same level as an upper-scale production Mercedes, and apart from an awkward seating position that will change, there isn't much that leaves to be desired.
Mercedes-Benz is investing a lot of money and effort into its upcoming EQ line, and the results can already be seen. With Audi's e-tron and Jaguar's I-Pace just around the corner - not to mention the Tesla Model X leading the way - Mercedes-Benz's EQ C can't come a moment too soon. And it looks like it won't be long until it arrives, and does so in style.
Mercedes-Benz claimed the EQ Concept featured a lot of traits that would be carried over to the production version, with the blue neon lights at the front being one of them. This solution is seen as a good way of making a smooth transition from the designs incorporating a radiator grille we've seen over the past century to the new status quo which doesn't require one anymore.
Well, it remains to be seen how much of the futuristic SUV will still be found on the actual vehicle we'll be able to buy, but one thing is certain: the EQ isn't your typical dark-windowed show car: not only does it have a complete interior, but it actually drives.
A journalist from the British magazine Autocar had the chance to ride in the passenger seat, and while the impressions you can get by seating beside the driver are limited, they're still more than the rest of us can muster.
As you would expect from a car at this stage of development, not everything is sorted out at the moment. The 21-inch wheels and a suspension system that's still in work meant there was no suppleness to the ride, something Mercedes is definitely going to address for the final product.
The powertrain is still a partial mystery, but we do know it gets two electric motors that develop a combined power of over 400 hp. The system is said to be able to switch the power from one axle to another at will. It's too early for performance figures but the electric SUV should reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in less than five seconds.
When it does enter production, the EQ Concept will be named EQ C, mirroring the nomenclature of Mercedes-Benz's traditional line of products. That means future models include an EQ A, an EQ E, and the range-topping EQ S.
But if the EQ Concept was less than impressive on the road, the same can't be said about its interior. The quality of the design and finishing are said to be on the same level as an upper-scale production Mercedes, and apart from an awkward seating position that will change, there isn't much that leaves to be desired.
Mercedes-Benz is investing a lot of money and effort into its upcoming EQ line, and the results can already be seen. With Audi's e-tron and Jaguar's I-Pace just around the corner - not to mention the Tesla Model X leading the way - Mercedes-Benz's EQ C can't come a moment too soon. And it looks like it won't be long until it arrives, and does so in style.
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