The Mercedes-Benz EQC 4×4 Squared is the latest mind-bending off-road machine out of Stuttgart. While sadly this all-electric luxury off-road monster is just a design study, that won’t stop us from drooling. There is a slim glimmer of possibility to see production as well, as the G 500 4×4 Squared went to production, but the E 400 All-Terrain 4×4 Squared concept did not.
“Our aim is to combine modern luxury and sustainability with emotional appeal. The EQC 4×4² shows how enjoyable sustainable mobility can be. This is where electromobility high-tech and an intriguing customer experience are transferred to the mountains, thanks to MBUX and over-the-air updates. To put it succinctly, electric, progressive luxury goes offroad,” says Markus Schäfer, Mercedes-Benz Cars COO.
Mercedes-Benz EQC 4×4 Squared
A soft-roader no more, the Mercedes-Benz EQC 4×4 Squared is based on the luxury cross-over EQC 400 4Matic. This design study is all about showing off the off-road capabilities possible from an electrified cross-over platform.
The big impressive upgrade on this vehicle, as with all 4×4 Squared vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, is the portal axles. These axles provide insane ground clearance, up to 11.5-inches in this case. That is more than twice the 5.5-inches of the standard EQC and even 2.3-inches more than a standard G-Class.
Helping achieve that ground clearance are 31-inch (285/50R20) tires wrapped around 20-inch wheels. That’s a lot of tire under an electric crossover, but not as much tire as most true off-road-focused vehicles.
Along with that big ground clearance comes truly impressive approach, breakover, and departure angles. 31.8, 24.2, and 33 respectively.
EQC 4×4 Squared Finishing Touches
Full skid plates and rock-sliders complete the off-road package. We just wish they had gone that one step further and provided this off-road monster with recovery gear. Think hidden winch up front and roof rack with Maxtrax, shovel, and water jerry cans. As cool as it would look with a snorkel and fuel cans, they would be ridiculous as this is an all-electric vehicle.
On the looks front the whole vehicle was wrapped in a matte metallic gun-metal grey, which seems fitting for a Benz. Big 4-inch wider fender flares really accentuate the wider track width and bigger tires.
By law, the production EQC has AVAS, an Acoustic Vehicle Alert System. The AVAS is basically an external noise generator to alert pedestrians that this quiet EV is moving. The EQC 4×4 Squared has a custom AVAS system that utilizes the headlamp housings as speakers. Mercedes is calling this new system the “lampspeaker.” We think it sounds ridiculous, but we’d like to hear it for ourselves.
Reality, But Not For Us
While we will continue to drool on these images and applauded Mercedes for making such an awesome vehicle, we won’t hold our breath to see it go into production. With the G 500 4×4 Squared costing many hundreds of thousands of dollars our wallets will thank us.
