What's the difference?
The Mercedes-Benz EQC has been on sale in Australia for a little while now, and aside from the local launch event we haven’t had a chance to spend any quality time with the brand’s first fully electric SUV. Until now.
The EQC 400, as it’s officially known, is the German luxury maker’s first foray into the full-EV landscape, and could arguably be seen as the first true luxury electric SUV on sale in Australia. I mean, yeah, there’s the Jaguar i-Pace, but it has a more premium-sporting intent than the EQC, and the Tesla Model X isn’t aimed at a luxury customer, more so a technologically-minded buyer.
So what’s the Merc EQC like to actually live with? We drove it for a week to find out.
For off-road adventurers, having the flexibility to be able to tow your camper-trailer off the beaten track, out bush and along a beach, opens up a whole new realm of fun and possibility – and that's why Jayco's Outback versions of the company's mainstream camper range have a growing legion of fans.
But the question for camper buyers is: should they upsize? Bigger is often better, but does that hold true in the camper-trailer world? Is a big camper actually worth the extra cash? And is it more difficult to tow?
We take the Jayco Swan Outback (from $30,490), the biggest camper in the Outback range, on a trip into the bush to answer these questions and plenty more.
When I was telling my colleagues about the Mercedes-Benz EQC my summary was, basically, it’s the best electric luxury car I’ve driven.Â
It’s plusher than a Jaguar i-Pace, more polished than a Tesla Model X - indeed, it feels like a different kind of electric car to both of those models. It’s an impressive foray into the segment, and we can’t wait for the chance to put it against some like-minded electric European luxury SUVs at some point in the future.
The Jayco Swan Outback is a nice solid camper, packed with features and suited for most trips away.
Sure, it's not the roomiest or flashiest camper around and – you've been warned – it is definitely not up to hard-core 4WDing, but it does come from a company responsible for sharply priced units with plenty of flexibility regarding optional add-ons so that counts for a lot.
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