Auto Express – August 20, 2019

MercedesEQV NEWS

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 15

COMFY

AllUKEQVshave

eight seatsand

anExtra-Long

wheelbase

(standardmodel

shown here)

Luxuryminibus doubles

Merc’selectric EQ range

●Eight-seatEQVonsale in 2020

● 25 2-milerangefrom £60kvan

MERCEDEShasofficiallyunveiledits

secondall-electricEQmodel:theEQV

luxurypassengervan.It’llmakeitsdebutat

the2019FrankfurtMotorShownextmonth,

beforegoingonsaleearlynextyear.

Theall-electricMPVhasa100kWhbattery

andamotorproducing201bhpand362Nm

oftorque.TheEQVoffersaprovisionalrange

of252milesandthebatterywillchargefrom

10 to80percentfullin“lessthananhour”.

LikethenewEQC,thevanisbasedon

anexistingMercedesplatform,ratherthan

asetofbespokeunderpinnings.It’llbebuilt

alongsidethestandardV-ClassandVitoat

thefirm’splantinVitoria,northernSpain.

Mercedeshasplacedthebatteriesunder

thefloor,claimingthere’snoimpacton

interiorroom.Othermarketswillgetachoice

ofwheelbaseandseatconfigurations,but

allUKcarswillbeExtra-Longwheelbase

modelswitheightseatsasstandard.

Allversionsusethefirm’slatestMBUX

infotainmentsystem,‘refined’fortheEQV.

Ownerscancustomisethe10-inchscreen

toshowmyriadinformation,including

availablecharge,energyflowanda

consumptionhistogram.Italsouses

thesame‘HeyMercedes’voice-control

systemfoundonthelatestA-Class.

Differentdrivemodesmakethemost

oftheEQV’scharge;theE+setting

usesthecar’snavigationsystem

tomaximiseavailable

range,whileadjustable

recuperationsettings

captureenergythat

wouldotherwisebe

lost.Inthestrongest

level,Mercedesclaims

Richard Ingram

[email protected]

@rsp_ingram

THEnewMercedesGLBisavailableto

order,withfirstdeliveriesdueinDecember.

Thisnewcompactmemberofthebrand’s

SUVline-upisdesignedtotakeonthelikes

oftheAudiQ3,BMWX1andVolvoXC40.

TopAMGLinePremiumcarsare

availableinfive-seatconfigurations,but

therangekicksoffwiththeseven-seat,

petrol-powered,161bhp2.0-litreGLB200,

pricedfrom£34,200inentry-levelSport

trim.Twodieselsarealsointhelaunch

line-up:the148bhpGLB200d,from

£36,800,andthe187bhpGLB220d.

Andfirm putsapriceonnew GLB

news

in brief

Limited edition ends

Rolls-RoyceGhostlife

THERolls-RoyceGhostisnearingthe

endofitstime,andaspecialrun-out

model–theGhostZenith–hasbeen

introduced,limitedto 50 unitsglobally.

Bothregularandextended-wheelbase

versionsoftheZenith(above)willbe

produced,featuringuniquetouches

insideandanengravedSpiritofEcstasy.

Anall-newGhostonthecompany’snew

platformisexpectedin2020.

French policerequest

mostUKdriver details

FRENCHpolicemadeover75percent

ofthe325,145requeststheDriverand

VehicleLicensingAgencyhasreceived

thisyearfromEUcountriesaskingforUK

driverdetailsaftertrafficoffencesabroad.

Thedata,obtainedviaafreedom

ofinformationrequestbyAlcoSense

Breathalysers,islikelytoreflectthe

numberofBritsdrivinginFrance,but

authoritiestherehavecrackeddownon

offencestocurbthecountry’saccident

rate.Germanymadethenext-highest

numberofrequests,atsevenpercent.

SpecialLexusLCison

saleforthis year only

LEXUShasrevealedanewlimited-

editionLCcoupé,availableonlyforthe

restof2019,andcarryinga£2,

premiumoverthestandardcoupé.

ExteriorupdatesfortheLexusLC

LimitedEdition(below)includeasetof

21-inch,two-tonealloysandaunique

TerraneKhakipaintfinish.Buyersalso

getasetofcustomisedtreadplates,

withalaser-engravedgeometricdesign

inspiredbytheLC’sbrakelights.Power

isprovidedbya457bhp5.0-litreV

ora354bhp3.5-litreV6petrolhybrid.

itispossibletodrivetheEQVwithout

usingthebrakepedalatall.

Exactspecswillberevealedlater,

butMercedessaysallEQVswillhave

airsuspensionand18-inchwheels,

aswellasthataforementioned

MBUXinfotainmentsystem.

Pricesareexpectedtostart

fromaround£60,000,withfirst

deliveriesdueinspring2020.

OFFICIAL

del