Experts have named a new seven-seater car better not to buy

A spacious and practical car is the dream of almost every driver with a family. Recently, the German car brand Mercedes-Benz has released the Mercedes EQV minivan, which is supposed to offer its owner as many as seven seats in the cabin and a lot of premium features.

However, experts and automotive journalists who tested this car did not give it very enthusiastic reviews. Thus, WhatCar criticized many of its characteristics. Still, what exactly the journalists did not like about it?

Performance and drive

The only powerplant option for the Mercedes EQV is a 201 hp electric motor (under the EQV 300 brand). It drives the front wheels and provides acceleration to 100 km/h in 12.1 seconds, which is quite slow for an electric vehicle. Moreover, it does not provide the desired power on the open road. At the same time, the models with standard suspension seem a bit unstable, bouncing on uneven roads like a diesel V-Class. Even switching the car to the sport driving mode does not greatly affect either the accelerator response or the steering sensitivity. In addition, the EQV leans heavily when cornering.

Other disadvantages include wind and road noise, which penetrates the cabin. The brake pedal is also very hard, although the EQV is capable of regenerative braking. You can use the steering wheel switches to increase or decrease the regenerative effect, but unlike some electric cars, it never gets strong enough to stop the EQV completely, meaning you can't control it with just one pedal.

The EQV has a large 90 kWh battery, but since it is a large and heavy car, the official electric range of up to 340 km is closer to the lower end of the electric car market. In addition, you are unlikely to be able to achieve this figure in real life. At the same time, cheaper seven-seater electric cars can go much further. For example, the claimed range of the Kia EV9 is up to 560 km.

Interior

The driver's seat in the Mercedes EQV is set high enough to provide an excellent view of the road ahead. The large side windows and rearview mirrors make it easy to see what's moving next to you. The rear view is not as clear, however, because the third row of seats makes it difficult to see.

Fortunately, all models are equipped with parking sensors (front and rear), as well as a rearview camera (and a 360-degree camera in the top variants). Optionally, you can get a rearview camera that can show what's behind you with the flick of a switch.

The driver's armrest and seat are comfortable, although the latter does not provide much lateral support when cornering. Still, there are a lot of different seat and steering wheel adjustments available.

The dashboard is also great. It is decorated with a lot of leather and chrome. However, the Mercedes luxury affected the rear of the EQV the most, where ambient lighting in up to 64 colors adds to the premium look. The only disappointment is the not-so-good quality of the plastic in the cabin.

The infotainment system is also impressive. Each model is equipped with a 12.3-inch touchscreen along with a digital driver display of the same size. They run on the latest version of Mercedes' MBUX software. This is one of the best installations, offering many functions and different ways to control them - voice, touch, steering wheel control or a special controller in the form of a mat on the center console. In terms of usability, the system still lags behind competing systems with rotary controllers (which are available in some BMWs), but it is much easier to work with than only through the touchscreen.

Interior space

The Mercedes EQV's large doors make it easy to get into the front seats. Access to the rear seats is made even easier with the electric sliding doors, which are controlled by buttons as standard.

While the Mercedes V-Class is available in two lengths, the EQV is only available in one, but it's still a long car. The battery is located under the floor, so the engineers did not have to compromise on interior space compared to the conventional model. The cabin is very spacious and the floor is flat, so it is easy for passengers to move around inside.

The manufacturer also offers a variety of seating options to choose from. As standard, the car is equipped with six separate seats arranged in three rows. As an option, you can replace the seats in the second and third rows with benches, which will allow the EQV to carry up to eight passengers. The second and third rows of seats are mounted on rails that move forward and backward, allowing you to position them to maximize legroom for either of the two rows or to increase boot space.

The trunk of the model remains huge even with eight seats. However, the rear seats can not be fold down to increase its size. The only option is to remove the third row completely.

Fuel-efficiency and reliability

The Mercedes EQV is a huge car that costs a lot of money to buy. To be precise, it costs more than most competing seven-seater luxury SUVs, as well as the Kia EV9 electric seven-seater. However, for corporate fleets, shuttle services, or VIP travel operators, this model is a perfect fit.

Sport models come well-equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, and 12.3-inch screens for digital instruments and infotainment.

According to modern electric vehicle standards, the EQV can be charged at medium speed. They are equipped with an 11 kW on-board charger, which will allow the vehicle to charge from 10 to 100% from an 11 kW home wall station in 10 hours.

The maximum charging speed of the EQV is 110 kW, so it can be charged to 20-80% using a fast charger at a neaby gas station in 40 minutes.

In terms of reliability and safety, the EQV's performance is rather disappointing. In the What Car 2023 reliability survey, the Mercedes brand ranked quite low in the table, coming in 24th place out of 32 automakers behind Ford, Kia, and VW.

The V-Class, on which the EQV is based, scored all five stars in Euro NCAP safety tests in 2014, but this rating is no longer relevant as today's tests are much tougher. Nevertheless, the model is equipped with a driver fatigue monitoring system and automatic emergency braking (AEB), as well as seatbelt pretensioner, blind spot warning, and lane keeping assist.

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