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.
Before the 1980s, when air travel was expensive, the humble Australian family car had to be able to tow a big boat or caravan in order to take the brood on holidays across our vast, sunburnt land.
Many turned to oversized American barges, like the Dodge Phoenix and the Pontiac Parisienne. People loved their massive dimensions, huge interiors, endless torque and look-at-me status.
And guess what? They still do. And even the same carmakers remain today, thanks to Chrysler’s Ram 2500/3500 Heavy Duty (HD) – which grew out of Dodge – and General Motors’ Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD.
Now, the Ram HDs, which were also the first of the modern American remanufactured trucks in Australia back in 2015, have come in for an overhaul.
How do the latest 2500/3500 stack up? Keep reading.
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.
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.
If you're a grey nomad with a massive caravan searching for something to do the big lap in, or a big boater seeking an effortless weekend getaway machine, then this sort of ute makes sense. The HD series shows just how much more muscle is available, for those who genuinely need it.
But if towing or hauling to the max isn’t your priority, then the far-more dynamic – and class-leading – Ram 1500 series does everything else with much-greater aplomb.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.