BMW I7 vs Mercedes-Benz Eqv300

What's the difference?

The i7 xDrive60 M Sport is close to the perfect 7 Series. From the comfort of being driven in it, to the ease of driving it, even for hours on end.

The i7's range of 625km is outstanding for an electric vehicle, but a petrol powered 740i will get you about 900km on a full tank. How many kilometres a day will you cover? Do you have time and a way to charge the i7 daily if you do cover a lot of distance?

If driving range isn't an issue, the i7 will reward you with a smooth, effortless driving experience and your passengers will have a serene journey in luxurious, high-tech surroundings. Just don't bump the door release button accidentally!

The EQV is indeed a curious offering. The driving range is decent, but not outstanding, and depending on what you’re using it for, it could be a savvy investment. Especially if you charge using solar power. You’ll also save on servicing costs. But if you’re a limo operator, it really will depend how many kilometres you’re going to do each day. A V-Class might suffice.

Either way it’s great that Benz is giving buyers electric options in a variety of body styles and segments - an SUV simply won’t suit everyone.

If you can live with that ride quality and have the deep pockets for an EQV, there’s more than enough to like. But I suspect there won’t be many of you.

At 5.4m long and 2.2m wide the i7 xDrive60 M Sport is enormous and imposing  - as a 7 Series BMW should be.

What's significantly different in the look of this latest incarnation of BMW flagship limousine is its show stopping face.

That LED-lined grille has Vegas pizazz and the pretty glittering Swarovski Crystal headlights are mesmerising. I doubt the words 'pizazz' and 'pretty' have ever been used to describe any previous generation BMW 7 Series.

Fear not, though, from every other angle the i7 looks business-like and serious… and solid as though carved from a single slab of marble.

Solid is also a good word for the i7's interior. Look at the seats in the images - they're hotel lobby sized and I'm still uncertain how they managed to fit them through the i7's doorway.

Our car had the Merino Tartufo brown leather upholstery which suited the 1970s-style futuristic design of the seats with their headrests wrapped in carbon fibre and the satin aluminium trim throughout the cabin. They look like seats from the bridge of a spaceship in a sci-fi series.

The enormous 31.3-inch screen in the rear is a show-stopper as are the tablets in the rear doors to control the screen functions along with the seat heating and adjustment.

Disappointing in comparison is the smaller media and instrument displays up front. And it's not just the lesser proportions but the styling of the screens that's a let down.

Surely this was a chance for BMW to integrate a large, flowing interactive screen over the dashboard and not something which looks propped up and an afterthought to the design of the cabin.

I also find the crystal-effect plastic that trims the dashboard and extends into the doors a little over-the-top, especially when it's backlit with LEDs.

If you’ve seen a Mercedes van or people mover, you’ll have an idea of the EQV.

The difference between it and its V-Class twin is the ‘EQ’ touches, including the front end that has a definite connection to other EQ models like the EQA.

The chrome-rimmed grille is blacked out and has fins, and that’s the key difference between the two MPVs. Otherwise it’s a very large white box on wheels. Nicely designed 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, at that. 

Inside, the EQV is showing the age of this vehicle's shared underpinnings. Next year will mark 10 years since the current Vito went on sale in Europe, and while it and its derivatives are still somewhat handsome, the interior is getting on.

It’s hard to fault the materials used inside, and elements like the perforated leather steering wheel, and dash stitching are welcome, but it could feel even more premium. It’s no more high-end than a Kia Carnival Platinum that is more than half the price of the EQV.

But the look of the dash is very reminiscent of Benz models from a few years back - certainly nothing like the twin-screen set-up of the current crop. And given the size of the cabin, the 10.25-inch central screen looks small in this vehicle. 

Sure, the i7 isn't an SUV but a sedan like this needs to be roomy and comfortable, it also needs to be an ergonomic place to work for passengers in the back with laptops, and it needs to be well appointed with internet connectivity and charging outlets. A boot that can take at least two passenger's luggage is also vital.

The i7 has all of that covered with good legroom in the second row even for me at 189cm tall. I spent two hours back there writing my script for the video for this review while the i7 was charging.

As I typed away I had plenty of elbow room but I could have done with a tray table for the computer.

There's a wireless phone charger in the fold-down rear centre console, along with USB ports galore.

You'll find another wireless phone charger up front and more USB ports. The i7 also has its own internet hotspot.

The sumptuous seats in the rear are power adjustable and also heated, but lack a massaging function.

There's also rear dual-zone climate control and sun-blinds which cover the back and side windows.

Cabin storage is good with large covered areas in the front and rear centre consoles, plus there are two cupholders in the rear and another two up front, with large door pockets, as well.

The cargo capacity of the boot is a healthy 500 litres but it's quite shallow due to the electric vehicle batteries eating into the luggage space.

The automatic doors can be opened several ways from the inside.

First there's a button inside which is high on the rear door and another on the dashboard which will open them automatically while using sensors to ensure they don't hit anything.

There's another button much lower down which will pop the door open slightly for you to push it the rest of the way.

Finally there's an emergency handle which will override the electric opening.

You can open the doors from the outside automatically by pushing a button near the door handle or by using the exterior door handle normally.

Closing involves pressing the high placed button if you're inside or by tapping the exterior button on the outside door handle if you've exited the car.

We did have a door mishap twice during our week with the i7. The first was when bags placed on the front passenger seat bumped the release button and caused the door to pop open, followed quickly by me lunging across to pull it shut again. It's lucky my arms are long.

The second was when my eight-year old son bumped the door release button with his knee again popping open the door but this time at 110km/h on the motorway. He was able to close the door but it rattled both of us, understandably and I kept the child lock on for the rest of the week.

He's been in a different test vehicle every week of his life since he was born and this is the first time we've ever had a door open unintentionally like this. I've also never had a door open, just because a bag has leaned on it, either.

So, the auto door opening function might create a nice impression and make opening and closing the heavy doors easier, but I think manual doors would be more practical.

If space is what you want, space is what you’ll find in the EQV. People movers like the Kia Carnival are incredibly spacious, but they can’t compete with something that’s spawned from a commercial vehicle platform, like this Benz.

Thanks to the flat floor and 2+2+3 three-row seating layout, you can literally stand up (depending on your height) and walk from the driver’s seat to the third row.

Back up front, the old underpinnings mean no fully digital instrument cluster here, just analogue dials, which is not a bad thing.

That also means the air con controls are separate from the central screen and therefore easy to use.

The MBUX system isn’t as advanced as the version fitted to the latest Benz models, and as a result there are fewer functions and it’s less complicated to use. There’s a touchpad as well as the touchscreen but I only ever used the screen.

Another slightly old school element to the EQV is the fact that it requires a key to start. Which is unusual for an EV. Also, the ignition is on the left side of the steering wheel which is great news for left-handed people but it’s somewhat annoying if you’re right-handed.

Storage wise up front, there is a decent space with a cover under the centre stack, housing cupholders, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt charger, but no wireless charger. There’s ample space for very large bottles in the front doors and it has a medium-sized glove box.

The front leather seats with fold-down armrests on each side are well bolstered and are very comfortable, too. No complaints there.

Given this car is designed to ferry people around, you’d hope for a functional rear cabin and on that Benz has delivered - for the most part.

Unsurprisingly given the EQV’s massive dimensions, there is a huge amount of headroom, legroom, and hip and shoulder room in all rows.

Both sliding side doors are power operated and one (the passenger side) can be opened via the key fob. The very large tailgate is also power operated.

Those two second-row captains chairs are comfy and supportive. There are map pockets on the rear of the front and second-row seats. There are floor and roof-mounted air vents, but just roof vents in the third row.

There’s not a whole lot of storage options in the second row, while the third row has stand-up phone holders, but that’s about it. No USB ports back there.

If you’re folding the second row seats, they’re quite heavy and cumbersome. But tumbling them forward via the lever is much easier. That ensures ample space to get into the third row. 

The third row can be folded flat as well but you have to remove the very large and heavy parcel shelf from the cargo area. Like the seats the shelf structure is also on rails and it lifts out if required. That third row can also slide but not as far as the second row.

The shelf can double as a stand-up desk for a computer in the rear if required. It’s actually quite handy.

And it helps hide items in the boot. It comes with plastic folding shopping crates. 

Benz says the boot can swallow 1030 litres with all seats in place, but minus the parcel shelf. It also has a 17-inch spare steel wheel under the rear of the vehicle.

It’s fair to say the EQV isn’t cheap. At $155,338 before on-road costs, it’s now the priciest people mover money can buy in Australia.

But, it’s not without expensive electric competitors. Chinese commercial vehicle specialist, LDV, has just launched a new MPV dubbed the Mifa 9, another people-moving EV. The price for that model ranges from $106,000 to $131,000, before on-road costs.

Soon enough Volkswagen will have its funky ID. Buzz people hauler here as well, while Ford’s Transit Custom-based Tourneo MPV now has an electric version in Europe.

Point is, Benz and LDV aren’t going to be on their own for long.

The EQV sits alongside the mechanically related internal combustion V-Class in its line-up and that model ranges from $91,668 and $106,344. So it's quite a leap to electric from there.

The EQV is offered in one grade in Australia and Mercedes has ensured it has a decent amount of standard gear. The EQV comes with a 10.25-inch central screen housing the 'MBUX' multimedia system and operated via touchscreen or touchpad, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, and USB-C ports.

It also gets power side doors, leather trim, a Burmester surround sound system, multifunction leather steering wheel, heated power adjustable front seats, ambient lighting, automatic dual-zone climate control with pre-entry climate, a seat rail system and rear removable parcel shelf.

Lining the specs up next to the LDV reveals that the Mifa 9 Luxe has more gear. It’s not super surprising given that model is very new and LDV has a strong value proposition. Also the underpinnings of the EQV are older.

But at more than $150K and a Benz badge, you think there would be a few more goodies, like heated rear seats or a massage function. Some extra luxuries would be nice, but it’s certainly not without the good stuff.

The i7 xDrive 60 M Sport has two electric motors - one at the front one at the rear - making this large saloon all-wheel drive.

The combined output is outrageous. We're talking 400kW and 750Nm. That's enough oomph to fire this electric missile from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds.

When EVs first came out a lot of people saw the technology as lending itself to small city cars, but with the smoothness of motion is offers, the silent operation and the colossal grunt it can supply nothing suits a big limo like the 7 Series better than electric motors.

The EQV is a battery electric vehicle that uses a single motor that sends up to 150kW of power and 365Nm of torque to the front wheels. It is paired with a 90kWh lithium-ion battery pack housed beneath the floor. The kerb weight is a hefty 2846kg.

With a DC charging capacity of up to 110kW, topping the battery up from 10 to 80 per cent can be done using a rapid charging station in about 45 minutes.

If you use an 11kW AC charger, like a Mercedes-Benz Wallbox, it will take approximately 10 hours to recharge from empty to 100 per cent.

There are removal trucks shorter and narrower than the i7 but this limousine is possibly the easiest and most comfortable car I've driven in almost 15 years of testing vehicles from Toyotas to Bentleys.

The steering is pinky-finger light but accurate, the ride (as driver and passenger in the second row) is superbly composed and the electric powertrain add a smoothness to movement that no combustion engine on the planet can come close to.

The xDrive60 M Sport comes standard with BMW's 'Executive Drive Pro' feature which includes the 'Active Roll Stabilisation' and 'Active Roll Comfort' systems used on Rolls Royces.

The systems use motors to level the body through dips and corners, and the result has to be felt to be fully appreciated.

It's oddly amazing - you could have a bowl of molten lava in your lap and not spill any of it.

And then there are the seats. As a driver the under thigh support offered by the big, thick, wide seat base is exactly right for long distances, while the back rest is supportive without being too firm.

If I was to name any downsides to the driving experience it would be the limited forward visibility due to the narrow windscreen and thick. short A-pillars.

I found myself always having to peer around those pillars at intersections and pedestrian crossings.

Rearward visibility is completely blocked when the second row's large screen is folded down and the rear vision mirror doesn't have a camera function to get around this issue.

Sure there's a reversing camera but being able to see what's coming up behind you in traffic is important to for safe situational awareness.

I'm also not a fan of the synthesised driving sounds. It's unnecessary, especially in something like a chauffeur-operated limousine.

I think it only serves to cheapen what is such a high-end experience. Thankfully you can turn it off.

The same goes for 'Boost Mode' which provides all available grunt once a paddle behind the steering wheel is pulled and counts down like a missile launch. Seriously? Come on - this isn't a 2 Series!

Driving the EQV feels a bit like driving a bus. That’s because you’re essentially driving a bus.

There’s no getting around the EQV’s size and heft, especially in an urban driving setting. It’s massive and challenging to park, especially in inner city areas with small spaces. It also has a pretty sizable 12.9-metre turning circle.

It does also have excellent visibility thanks to a significant amount of glass around you.

After so many years of complaining about Mercedes’ steering wheel-mounted gear shifter, I think I have finally come around to it. Would I prefer it in the centre console? Yes, but I now think the stalk is actually a logical place for it.

A stalk is a less logical place to house cruise control buttons. They are much better on the steering wheel than a stalk hidden behind the wheel.

From take-off, the EQV doesn’t quite flaw you with its acceleration like some EVs can. It’s more leisurely, but far from slow.

The 0-100km/h dash is done in approximately 12 seconds but around town it is responsive enough. In fact, on a particularly hectic day rushing to and from appointments all over town, I was surprised how lively the EQV felt, despite feeling heavy on the road.

As expected, it’s quiet on the road, for the most part - a nice change from diesel engines found in its siblings. But I did notice some creaking noises when driving on less than perfect tarmac.

The steering is weighted on the heavier side and slow to respond but that’s fine for a vehicle like this. You don’t need point and shoot steering for a 3.0-tonne bus. The brakes are not super responsive and require a bit of weight in the foot.

The biggest issue is with the EQV’s ride. The firmly sprung suspension combined with the vehicle’s mass means that you feel, and hear, every single bump.

I understand it is a commercial vehicle platform but given its positioning, Benz could have done more to soften the ride and make it less crashy, especially over speed bumps, potholes and sections of roadwork.

The EQV bumps along the road after you’ve gone over a speed bump and takes a while to balance itself out. It’s this floaty, bouncy ride characteristic that makes all but the smoothest roads a bit of a chore.

At this point, ANCAP has not rated the EQV. 

Benz has fitted the EQV with standard safety gear including A-to-D-pillar window airbags, auto emergency braking, driver and front passenger airbags (front, thorax and window), hill-start assist, lane keep assist, blind spot monitor, crosswind assist, reversing camera and sensors, driver attention warning, and a tyre pressure monitor.

It also has Benz’s ‘Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC’ which uses the adaptive cruise control to reduce and increase speed according to the movement of the vehicle it is following.

The Benz’s lane keeping aid is not intrusive. Rather than steering you back into the lane it has a haptic steering wheel vibration and audible alert. The adaptive cruise control is responsive, too. 

The i7 xDrive60 M Sport is covered  by BMW's five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. The battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km.

There's no regular servicing schedule but the car will identify any faults and maintenance issues and notify you. A six-year unlimited service plan is offered by BMW and is included in the purchase price of the i7.

The i7 also comes with a five-year subscription to the charge for charging network, and a home wall box charger.

The EQV is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private buyers (that drops to five years/250,000km for commercial buyers), and an eight-year or 160,000km battery warranty. 

The servicing schedule is once a year or every 40,000km.

Benz offers the EQV with a choice of three servicing plans, covering three services ($1252), four ($1959), or five services ($2149).

It also comes with a one-year complimentary Chargefox subscription.

The warranty terms are a little better than the LDV Mifa 9 (five years/160,000km), but you get more kilometres (200,000km) for the battery warranty on the LDV.