Mercedes-Benz EQC Shows off ‘Night Design’ Fascia at CES 2019

Night Design

A striking feature at the front is the large black-panel surface enclosing the headlamps and grille. Exclusively for the American market, the large Mercedes star on the panel is illuminated at night as standard and for the first time it can also be combined with Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC radar-based cruise control. This ensures a particularly impressive look in the dark.

The Night Design is also unique thanks to the inclusion of the fiber-optic cable for the first time. As the finishing touch to the top of the Black Panel grille it provides a visual link to the characteristic Mercedes-Benz daytime running lights. This creates an almost uninterrupted, horizontal light band.

The inner housings of the standard multibeam LED headlamps are in high-gloss black. Contrasting color highlights discreetly confirm the model’s membership of the new EQ family: blue stripes on a white background, and multibeam lettering also in blue.

The high-quality interior of the EQC also pioneers an avant-garde electro-look. One example is the louvered edge of the instrument panel, which resembles the cooling ribs of a hi-fi amplifier. The instrument panel is designed as a driver-oriented cockpit.

The typical Mercedes-Benz wing profile is asymmetrical, with a “cut-out” in the driver area. This is where one of the visual highlights of the cockpit is located; a high-tech, high-gloss cassette housing flat air vents with key-shaped, rose-gold colored louvres.

Dynamic Performance Meets Efficiency

As the first Mercedes-Benz model to be launched under the new product and technology brand EQ, the EQC features an all-new drive system development with compact electric drivetrains at each axle. These give the EQC the driving characteristics of an all-wheel drive vehicle.

To reduce power consumption, the electric drivetrains are configured differently: the front electric motor is optimized for best possible efficiency in the low to medium load range, while the rear motor adds sportiness. Together, they generate an output of 402 horsepower and a maximum torque of 564 lb-ft.

Mercedes-Benz engineers have enhanced noise comfort with a number of measures. In the EQC the powerpacks are isolated by rubber mounts at two points: where the powerpack connects to its subframe and where the subframe connects to the body. This effective isolation is supplemented with insulation measures. As a result, the interior of the EQC is extremely quiet.

The lithium-ion battery, which has an energy content of 80 kWh (NEDC), supplies the vehicle with power. The power consumption and range of electric vehicles greatly depend on the driving style. The EQC supports its driver with five driving programs through DYNAMIC SELECT, each with different characteristics: COMFORT, ECO, MAX RANGE, SPORT and INDIVIDUAL for an individually customizable program.

In the more economical driving modes, the haptic accelerator pedal that prompts the driver to conserve power plays an important role. The driver is also able to influence the recuperation level using paddles behind the steering wheel.

The ECO Assist system gives the driver comprehensive support by prompting the driver when it is appropriate to lift off the accelerator, for example when the vehicle is approaching a change in speed limit, and by functions such as coasting and specific control of recuperation. For this purpose, navigation data, traffic sign recognition and information from the intelligent safety assistants (radar and stereo camera) are linked and processed.

Flexible & Fast Charging

As standard the EQC is equipped with a water-cooled onboard charger (OBC) with a capacity of 7.4 kW, making it suitable for AC charging at home or at public charging stations.

Within the EU the charging process at a Mercedes-Benz Wallbox is up to three times faster than at a household socket; in the U.S. the time advantage when charging at a Wallbox is even up to eight times as much, because here the voltage at a household socket is usually 120 volts.

It is faster with DC charging – which is standard for the EQC, with a suitable market-specific plug – for example via CCS (Combined Charging Systems) in Europe and the USA, CHAdeMO in Japan or GB/T in China. Depending on the SoC (status of charge), the EQC can be charged with a maximum output of up to 110 kW at an appropriate charging station. It then takes around 40 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent SoC (provisional figures).

Technical Data

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