Mercedes EQV Review

Published on 13 December, 2021

With enough room to carry seven adults in comfort on battery power alone, the EQV is an important launch for those locked out of the EV market due to space requirements before now.

Highlights

Overview

The EQV is based on Mercedes already well established people carrying V class – the main difference being that this one is powered by a pretty massive 90kWh battery that will allow it to travel up to 357km on a single charge.

Interior Gallery

While the swathes of space and green credentials might make it an obvious choice for professional chauffeurs, Mercedes also clearly have their sights set on the family buyer with this one. Not only does it have an incredibly spacious interior, it will also facilitate three Isofix carseats side by side thanks to three full size seats in the middle row (a rare feat even amongst ICE vehicles). This will surely be a unique selling point for parents of multiples or even growing teens who want to stretch out. Don’t forget you’ve got another two full size seats behind that middle row.

There is a catch unfortunately. With a starting price of €97,000, it’s not exactly a car for the masses. However, it does come exceptionally well equipped for that price tag and rightly so. In fact you’ll be hard pressed to find a gadget that it doesn’t have, with touchscreen infotainment, heated leather seats with electric adjustment, ambient lighting as well as a fairly crucial parking assistant and reversing camera all a standard part of the EQV experience. Safety features are also generous with cruise control and blind spot monitoring amongst the useful driver assisting aids on board. In fact it doesn’t feel much like a van at all from the driver seat apart from the raised position. It’s an otherwise very typical Mercedes affair which means good quality materials, a logical layout and a general feeling of luxury.

For those coming from a smaller vehicle, the EQV will be quite a new experience, similar to any car driver getting to grips with a van for the first time. The dimensions are bigger, things like U-turns and parking that once came as second nature now have to be carefully thought out. Once these adjustments have been made, there is much to appreciate. Those coming from an ICE van will certainly enjoy the refinement, power and near silence that the fully electric powertrain brings to the table. The 90kWh battery can propel it to 100kmph in about 12 seconds (not that you’ll have any mad desire to put that to the test). Mercedes say it can do up to 357km on a single charge but of course this will depend massively on external conditions and how you drive it, not to mention how many of the seven seats are occupied.  

A €100k people carrier might not be a realistic option for everyone, but it at least gives Tesla some competition in this area. Granted, the falcon doors on the Model X might be a bit cooler than the sliding doors on this one, but it is heaps more practical and a lot more luxurious inside.

Facts & Figures

Sinead McCann

Sinéad is our resident car tester who has the unenviable (-ok, slightly enviable) task of reviewing all the latest new cars to hit the market. You can follow her on Twitter @smcani and on Instagram @whatshedrives