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Electric version of V-Class seeks to deliver an even more luxurious service to wealthy passengers

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You could argue that the Mercedes-Benz EQV, the electric alternative to the Mercedes V-Class, gets very close to being the perfect battery-powered car.

The MPV is generous in size and tall, so a big battery (90kWh in this case) slips underneath it a treat, with little to no sacrifice in floor height or head room.

It’s also one of those vehicles likely to do constant city-to-airport runs, so its journeys will be regular and fairly short, which somewhat mitigates the slightly disappointing 110kW maximum charging rate.

It’s also built for a wide range of loading conditions, be it six passengers plus luggage or just two passengers with luxurious, reclining, S-Class-style seats and essentially the entire load bay to themselves.

And of course there's the fact that Mercedes bills this as the most luxurious electric people mover in the business.

It prices it as such, too: reckon on little or not change from £90,000 before options. Is it worth the money? Let's find out. 

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INTERIOR

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mercedes benz eqv review 2024 09 interior

Were it not for the van-style, cliff-face geometry of the wide, wood-effect dashboard and the expanse between the front seats (nicely sculpted and with useful armrests), you could almost be forgiven for thinking you had climbed aboard one of Mercedes’ saloons.

Gone are dramatically hooded instrument binnacles and the bulbous curvature of the centre-console seen in the original EQV, introduced in 2019. It has all been replaced with Mercedes' new generation of MBUX displays and a little plinth that houses a touchpad controller and a good amount of physical switchgear, including for electrically sliding side doors.

Less welcome are the imprecise panel-push controls on the new wheel, smart as it is, but in general the mix of physical switchgear and touchscreen control is nicely judgded.

Professional drivers will find this an unusally plush office and private buyers should consider it a match for anything in the class. 

Unlike the combustion-engined V-Class, the EQV can also be had with a unique, blue-hued dashboard trim that makes the place feel altogether less commercial. 

Mind you, the driving position is resolutely perched, which is great for visibility but requires some synaptic recalibration from anyone used to normal saloons. 

Of course, the front portion of the cabin isn't what the EQV is really about. The passenger area is outstandingly spacious in terms of leg and head room, even with the eight-seat configuration (that is, two rows of three in the back). There's plenty of luggage room, too.

Whichever inlay trim you opt for also extends down the flanks on the cabin and into the third row, so there's a premium atmos throughout.

Opting for beige leather raise the premium appeal of the EQV further still, and there are other options, such as a Burmester sound system and a panoramic roof, that are included on Exclusive trim. 

RIDE & HANDLING

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mercedes benz eqv review 2024 12 cornering

Straight away the EQV cuts a more urbane figure than the diesel V-Class. Near-silent running instils a sense of calm and means this electric MPV is better suited to the role of luxury transit.

The driving experience itself is also more pleasant, not least because the EQV’s regenerative braking can be ramped up to the maximum for effective one-pedal driving or completely disabled for free-wheeling.

Step-off isn't quite as crisp as it is in regular electric cars. Given that the EQV weighs nearly three tonnes, how could it be? But it is nonetheless a gratifyingly clean motion.

In our air-suspended test car, Sport driving mode seemed to have little or no deleterious effect on the ride quality but did make the accelerator usefully sharp for zipping about town.

Car-like gearing and weight in the steering underline the EQV’s easygoing dynamic personality. 

In terms of the battery, nothing of note has changed with this facelift. The front-driven EQV still touts a 90kWh pack, good for a claimed 217 miles of range – a small improvement, due to battery-management enhancements.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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mercedes benz eqv review 2024 01 tracking front

On one hand, the EQV is less expensive than the Tesla Model X, and if material comforts and outright space are most important to you, that might make the German MPV quite appealing.

On the other hand, there's the new Volkswagen ID Buzz, which isn't the most elegant or business-like option but does offer stiff competition for the EQV if you're a private buyer – a family, for instance.

With 258 miles claimed, the Buzz comfortably beats the EQV for range – a win that it underscores with a maximum charging rate of 170kW (as compared with 110kW).

The Buzz can seat only five, so it plays second fiddle to the EQV in that regard, and in top-spec guise it doesn't have some of the ultra-lavish elements the EQV can muster (those airline-style seats, for example).

However, it does have even better drivability that the EQV and, not being van-based, rides more sweetly over rough road-surfaces, too.

Best of all, it's notably cheaper, making it difficult to look past unless you need the big Merc's space and versatile seating configurability.    

VERDICT

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mercedes benz eqv review 2024 16 static rear

The EQV is a fine electric MPV that's best suited to formulaic VIP chauffuering duties in and around town, but the bigger picture here is that, come 2026, Mercedes will have launched its ground-up VAN.EA platform, upon which all its future medium (eVito/EQV) and large (eSprinter) vans will be built.

It will use a standardised front axle that includes the motor-gearbox unit, while the battery-carrying central module will be scalable. It will also, according to Mercedes, allow range to surpass 300 miles for the EQV – a dramatic improvement on the current figure. In addition, level-three automated driving is planned by 2030.

It’s therefore probably worth waiting for the all-new EQV and its VAN.EA underpinnings. However, if two years feels too long, the updated EQV isn’t a bad option for those who need the prodigious space and no small measure of people-moving grace. 

Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and like all road testers is typically found either behind a keyboard or steering wheel (or, these days, a yoke).

As deputy road test editor he delivers in-depth road tests and performance benchmarking, plus feature-length comparison stories between rival cars. He can also be found presenting on Autocar's YouTube channel.

Mostly interested in how cars feel on the road – the sensations and emotions they can evoke – Richard drives around 150 newly launched makes and models every year. His job is then to put the reader firmly in the driver's seat. 

Steve Cropley

Steve Cropley Autocar
Title: Editor-in-chief

Steve Cropley is the oldest of Autocar’s editorial team, or the most experienced if you want to be polite about it. He joined over 30 years ago, and has driven many cars and interviewed many people in half a century in the business. 

Cropley, who regards himself as the magazine’s “long stop”, has seen many changes since Autocar was a print-only affair, but claims that in such a fast moving environment he has little appetite for looking back. 

He has been surprised and delighted by the generous reception afforded the My Week In Cars podcast he makes with long suffering colleague Matt Prior, and calls it the most enjoyable part of his working week.

Mercedes-Benz EQV First drives