- need your electric benz to be a bit more aggressive? you can specify the much more enticing (and pricier) brabus electric version at some point in the future.
- more horsepower and more torque from the e-powerxtra performance upgrade mean quicker zero-to-6o-mph times.
- the look can be tweaked, too, but other than a rear spoiler and new wheels, we don't yet know exactly how different you can make your eqc.
we've already dubbed the mercedes eqc perhaps the most important benz of the past few decades. the brand's first all-new-from-the-ground-up electric vehicle, the eqc is a bold step forward for mercedes. while there is much to appreciate about the upcoming ev, the design doesn't exactly stand out from the cuv crowd. enter brabus.
well known for tuning daimler products to produce just a few fields' worth of extra horsepower, brabus has once again turned its wrenches to an electrified daimler product, in this case the new eqc400 4matic. the changes add some aggressive style tweaks and performance numbers, similar to what brabus did to the smart eq fortwo cabrio when it turned it into the brabus ultimate e or the ways it has offered modified tesla model s evs.
we'll start with the new powertrain, where the brabus e-powerxtra performance pack upgrades the eqc's standard 402 horsepower to 422 and the 561 lb-ft of torque to 612. those boosts are good enough to reduce the claimed zero-to-62-mph time from 5.1 seconds to 4.9. one caveat, though, is that the brabus eqc only benefits from these improvements when the s drive mode is engaged using the dynamic select switch.
brabus didn't change the eqc's electronically limited top speed of 112 mph or the 80.0-kwh battery. eqc owners (and there aren't any in the u.s. just yet, since the vehicle's debut has been delayed here) can't get these enhancements installed just yet, as the e-powerxtra performance upgrade is still undergoing testing.
if you want to make your eqc look more brabus-y right out of the gate, though, you're in luck. there are upgraded monoblock z 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels available, for example, that have been certified safe and ready. brabus offers two versions of a 10-spoke design for the eqc, with front wheels that are eight inches wide and rears that are nine and a half. both have pirelli p zero tires. a set of 21-inch brabus monoblock z platinum edition wheels are also available with contisportcontact tires.
the tuner says it is working on a number of "aerodynamic-enhancement components" for the eqc, but for now only a new brabus rear spoiler is available. based on photos, some of the ways brabus may improve the look of the eqc include brabus front and rear emblems, sleek circuit-board-design wrap, and a branded motor cover with electric blue accents.
brabus says it can upgrade the inside of the ev in a number of ways as well, including brabus-branded door locks (yes, there's a little b on there), aluminum foot pedals, and backlit scuff plates that change colors.
the tuner also offers a "complete redesign" of the cockpit but did not explain what this entails.
in the u.s., the eqc will start at $68,895. this brabus version is priced in europe at the equivalent of $135,400.