A Glimpse into the Future. Mercedes-Benz Concept EQ showcased in Malaysia!
A couple weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia opened their first Mercedes-Benz EQ Brand Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur where they took the opportunity to showcase the Concept EQ show car for the very first time in Southeast Asia.
Similar to how IQ represents intelligence, EQ in Mercedes’ case represents Electric Intelligence. The Mercedes-Benz EQ brand signifies Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming line of electric vehicles. Just like AMG is Mercedes’s performance sub-brand, the EQ would become the electrified equivalent. The closest examples would be BMW’s iPerformance brand and Audi’s e-tron.
First showcased to the public at the Paris Motor Show in 2016, the Concept EQ is a preview of what’s to come in the near future from Mercedes-Benz in regards to electric vehicles.
As mentioned earlier, this SUV/coupe/crossover concept vehicle made its first-ever appearance in Malaysia and Southeast Asia to give visitors a glimpse of what to expect from the German automaker.
Dimension wise, the Concept EQ’s length, width and height measures to 4730 mm, 1948 mm and 1560 respectively. The Concept EQ is said to be a close-to-production study, so expect the general design to remain similar in the final product.
The overall appearance is definitely much more futuristic but remains recognizably Mercedes. One thing you won’t miss is that striking front “grille” where the white-illuminated Mercedes star emblem sits, surrounded by blue accent lighting. As expected, the head and tail lights also consists of LEDs.
The Concept EQ is equipped with two electric motors on the front and rear axles, while the battery is located down low on the vehicle floor. With a system output of up to 300kW (402hp) and 700Nm of torque thanks to scalable battery components and permanent AWD, the Concept EQ is capable of sprinting to 100 km/h from a standstill in under 5 seconds. Supplied by Daimler AG-owned company Accumotive, the Concept EQ’s lithium-ion battery can drive it up to 500 km on a single charge.
The concept car futuristic theme continues on the inside with electric blue ambient lighting that surrounds pretty much the whole cabin. Besides that, the large instrument cluster, floating wide-screen display is an evolution of Mercedes’ current production display.
The 24-inch TFT high-definition wide-screen display presents all the relevant driving information, such as speed, range, driving data, navigation and map details. You will be hard pressed to find any physical buttons inside the cockpit as every control is touch-based.
It’s great to see more and more car manufacturers taking the initiatives to introduce Malaysians to the latest and future mobility solutions. Whether we like it or not, current automotive trends point towards an increasingly autonomous and electrified future.
Ultimately it’s up to us consumers to embrace that future. Car manufacturers are just trying their best to make that transition a more seamless one.
Big thanks to Jason for the coverage!
