In-depth reviews

Mercedes EQC review: interior, dashboard & infotainment

The Mercedes EQC has a striking interior focused on an impressive infotainment system, plus generous standard equipment

Overall rating

3.0 out of 5

Interior, dashboard & infotainment rating

4.5 out of 5

Price
£64,950 - £81,225
Fuel Type:
Electric

The EQC is as comfortable to sit in as it is to drive. While the rose-gold coloured vents look a bit chintzy, the simple but otherwise classy looking dashboard feels like you’d expect it to in such an expensive car. It's suitably posh, not least the slightly overwhelmingly hi-tech infotainment touchscreen, which can also be controlled from a touchpad in the centre console.

The entry-level Sport model was dropped in 2022, with the range now comprising AMG Line, plus AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus. Keyless entry and go, LED headlights and a reversing camera are standard, which is unusually generous for Mercedes, although you’ll need to fork out an extra £4,000-odd and step up to AMG Line Premium spec to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Mercedes EQC dashboard

The EQC’s dashboard is a striking-looking but minimalist affair that focuses on a huge single-piece screen running from behind the steering wheel to beyond the middle of the dashboard. It houses the touchscreen infotainment system, as well as the driver’s customisable digital readouts.

The rose-gold vents will perhaps be a bit too ‘Beckham’ for some, but otherwise the simple row of switches mounted on a gloss-black surround, and the way the central vents create a classy, architectural-looking overhang is very appealing. It all feels great and is easy to use – excepting the occasionally over-complicated infotainment system.

Equipment, options & accessories

Previously available in entry-level Sport spec, as of mid-2022 the Mercedes EQC comes only in fashionable AMG Line trim – with the option to upgrade to AMG Line Premium or AMG Line Premium Plus. This means standard equipment is pretty generous, with all cars getting 20-inch wheels, LED lights and that twin-screen infotainment system.

The EQC also comes with leather trim, heated and power-adjustable seats with adjustable lumbar support, a reversing camera, keyless entry and go, which is impressively well equipped by premium SUV standards. Prices start from just under £75,000 – around £7k more than the cheapest Audi Q8 e-tron, despite that car’s bigger battery and longer range.

Upgrading to AMG Line Premium will set you back an additional £4,645, bringing luxuries like larger 21-inch wheels, and a sliding electric sunroof, plus Merc’s Air Balance system, which not only filters the interior air but also adds a fragrance of your choice. Premium also adds the essential Smartphone Integration system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – a £299 option on the most basic cars.

AMG Line Premium Plus is another £2,250 and switches the silver wheels for black ones, plus 360-degree parking cameras, a head-up display, 12-way electrically-adjustable memory seats and gesture control for the infotainment system. These cars are pricey, but certainly aren’t lacking in high-end features or quality trim.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

Its range might not be competitive anymore, but the EQC’s can still hold its own against newer rivals like the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron when it comes to on-board tech. All EQCs get the huge 10.25-inch touchscreen and similarly-sized adjustable digital driver’s readout, plus a touchpad that's usefully more intuitive than that used by older Lexus models. We still found using the Merc's touchscreen easier, despite requiring a bit of a stretch to reach it, while the two small touchpads on the steering wheel are also a lot easier to use than they sound. 

Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.

Every model gets sat nav, USB, Bluetooth, audio streaming and DAB radio.. If you step up to AMG Line Premium, you even get voice control of the system and a real-time camera-view of the road ahead, with arrows overlaid on the lanes or junctions for a clearer understanding of where you’re going. 

All-in, it’s a seriously impressive system, but one that takes time to get used to given the sheer complexity of the features on offer. It’s also worth noting that the newer Mercedes EQE SUV now boasts the German maker’s flashier next-generation Hyperscreen setup; this makes the EQC’s arrangement feel a little old-fashioned in comparison. The EQE is a much more expensive car in the first place, however.

Richard is editor of DrivingElectric, as well as sister site Carbuyer.co.uk, and a regular contributor to Auto Express. An electric and hybrid car advocate, he spent more than five years working on the news and reviews desk at Auto Express and has driven almost every new car currently on sale.

Most Popular

First contact: facelifted Kia EV6 will look even more like a UFO
Kia EV6 facelift
News

First contact: facelifted Kia EV6 will look even more like a UFO

Kia is readying an update for the EV6 crossover, which is set to include a new face and tech from the larger EV9
27 Nov 2023
New Fisker Ocean Sport washes up in the UK: £36k for a 288-mile range
Fisker Ocean Sport
News

New Fisker Ocean Sport washes up in the UK: £36k for a 288-mile range

American EV startup Fisker has just launched its entry-level Ocean SUV in the UK, with a range of up to 288 miles
22 Nov 2023
New Vauxhall Vivaro Electric is cheaper, yet has more range and tech
Vauxhall Vivaro Electric - header
News

New Vauxhall Vivaro Electric is cheaper, yet has more range and tech

Vauxhall has given its Vivaro Electric panel van a mid-life refresh with a new face and some of the latest tech
16 Nov 2023