Facelifted Mercedes EQV turns up the tech

It may be based on the humble ‘Vito’ panel van, but that hasn’t stopped Mercedes from updating the electric EQV MPV with the latest luxury and infotainment technology

Billed as a more premium alternative to other electric people carriers like the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, Maxus Mifa 9 and Citroen e-Spacetourer, the updated Mercedes EQV will arrive in the UK next year. In Europe, it’ll be available in three trim levels: Style, Avantgarde and Exclusive, though the UK is likely to continue with its existing lineup of Sport, Sport Premium and Sport Premium Plus. Pricing and specifications are yet to be confirmed.

In an attempt to tie it in with the rest of the EQ-badged Mercedes lineup, the new EQV gets a restyled front grille that runs into a set of Multibeam LED headlights – similar to the arrangement found on the EQS SUV. Things are mostly business-as-usual at the rear, although the EQV’s rear LED tail lights have received a slight tweak and there’s a new chrome strip on the powered bootlid.

The headlining feature of this new update, however, is the introduction of Mercedes’ twin-screen MBUX infotainment system – similar to the one found in the seven-seat Mercedes EQB SUV. This comprises two 12.3-inch displays which can be controlled via capacitive buttons on the steering wheel, a touchpad on the dashboard or via the responsive centre touchscreen. The sat-nav comes with several EV-based features too, including EV-specific readouts and range-related route planning with stops at rapid chargers.

As you’d hope from an electric people carrier that’s likely to start from around £90,000 (the current car costs from £87,135), the Mercedes EQV’s interior gets leather upholstery, 64-colour ambient lighting and several safety features such as a 360-degree camera system, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.

Despite the substantial visual and technological changes, there have been no tweaks below the EQV’s metal. As before, it uses a 90kWh (useable) battery, but due to the EQV’s size, is only able to return 213 miles of range on the official WLTP tests. A 201bhp electric motor means 0-62mph takes 13.1 seconds, though thankfully, the EQV can charge much faster; standard 110kW rapid charging means a 10-80% top-up takes 45 minutes at a compatible public chargepoint.

Of course, an update for the EQV wouldn’t be complete without some changes for the blue-collared e-Vito van. This doesn’t get the same flashy dual-screen setup as the EQV, but does nonetheless get an updated infotainment setup, running the same MBUX software. Like the EQV, prices for the facelifted Mercedes e-Vito will be confirmed at a later date.