Even though several premium players in the automotive industry offer pure-electric vehicles in several markets around the globe, none are officially on sale in India. Well, that will change this year. In April 2020, Mercedes-Benz India will launch the EQC. It will become one of the 10+ models that the German carmaker plans to launch this year.

The zero-emissions model is not only the first product under Mercedes’ EQ sub-brand but also the first of ten EVs that the company aims to have by 2025. The EQC shares the platform, albeit in a modified form, with the GLC. When compared, the EV is over 10cm longer but more than 31cm shorter in height. That’s why the EQC falls under the crossover SUV segment.

The main highlight of the EV in question is the powerplant. There are two electric motors, one for each axle, and together they give birth to an all-wheel-drive system. As per Mercedes-Benz, the total system output is 402bhp/765Nm. Both get their juices from an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery pack which is enough for a range of over 450km (as per NEDC). That’s quite impressive considering the EQC’s kerb weight is over 2.4 tonnes. The battery alone weighs 650kg. As far as the sprint time from nothing to 100kmph is concerned, it is 5.1 seconds. Flat out, the crossover will reach 180kmph before running into the electronic governance systems.

Impressive range, acceleration and top speed figures are just one side of the story. An EV must be capable of supporting not only several but also rapid charging. For charging the EQC at home via a regular socket, Mercedes-Benz provides a 7.4 kW charger. That’s the slowest way of juicing-up the battery. The second charging option is via the Mercedes-Benz Wallbox. Based on the pertaining conditions, it can be up to three times faster than a domestic power socket. The quickest option is through a DC feed. The EQC can take feeds of up to 110 kW, using which it can replenish the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in about 40 minutes.

As you’d expect, EQC’s list of features is quite extensive. As standard, the car comes with the MBUX infotainment system with two 10.25-inch displays, keyless-go, 64-colour ambient lighting, auto-dimming IRVM and ORVMs, heated front seats, active parking assist with a rear-view camera and cruise control. The EQC also comes with a 13-speaker Burmester sound system, multibeam LED headlights, a head-up display, 40:20:40 split rear seats and electrically-adjustable seats with memory function.

To test waters, Mercedes-Benz India will bring the EQC via the CBU route. If found traction, the carmaker will not waste time to convert the operations to a CKD format. In the EV world, the Mercedes-Benz EQC is a rival for the Tesla Model X, Jaguar I-Pace and the Audi e-tron. The latter two should also make their way into India this year.