Mercedes-Benz EQC400 4Matic Powertrain & Performance

The Mercedes-Benz EQC is powered by two asynchronous electric motors, one mounted on the front axle and the other on the rear axle. This essentially makes the EQC an all wheel drive, thus justifying the 4Matic suffix. While the front motor is focused on efficiency, the rear works on offering performance on tap. Together, both the motors put out a healthy 408 hp and 760 Nm of torque. The EQC drives as a FWD when moving in a sedate manner. Mercedes claims a 0 to 100 kph timing of 5.1 seconds, and I will nod to that. The EQC is quick and how. Power delivery is instant and you get torque on demand. Press the accelerator and the EQC just shoots forward without making a sound. It sounds eerie at first but you get used to it as you drive more. Mercedes has worked a lot on insulation and no sort of wind noise or tyre noise filter into the cabin. There are the usual drive modes Eco, Comfort Sport and Individual. The EQC is especially eager in Sport mode and pulls seamlessly. At this time, you cant help but miss a nice engine note. The EQC simply goes about doing its thing in a silent, non dramatic fashion. Top speed is limited to 180 kph.

Apart from the drive modes, the EQC400 comes with regenerative braking with 5 recuperation levels. You can switch between the D Auto, D+, D, D- and D– modes by using the steering mounted paddle shifters.  So what do these modes mean? D Auto automatically chooses the recuperation level, D+ can be used for coasting, D gives mild recuperation, D- gives medium levels and D—will give you strong recuperation levels. Theses modes are a lot of fun to play with and there is so much you end up discovering about the EQC in different situations. The modes are especially useful in city driving. I used a lot of D- and D- – during my drive and while experimenting, I realized how I could brake using only the modes and not the brake pedal. There were many instances where I just shifted to D- – while slowing down for a speed breaker. This definitely adds a fun factor while driving.

Mercedes-Benz claims a range of 450 kms under the NEDC cycle range. However on can expect a realistic range of 350 kms on a full charge. It all depends on a number of factors like your driving style, traffic conditions etc. The EQC400 comes with an 80kWh Lithium-ion battery that powers the electric motors. It comes with a cooling system to control battery temperature, and a housing with crash structure to protect the battery pack in case of a side impact during an accident. Mercedes-Benz is offering an 8 year/160,000 km warranty cover on the battery pack.

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