With the decline in MPVs in recent years, amid mass adoption of SUVs, most of those that remain on the market are now closely based on vans. This certainly applies to the Mercedes-Benz EQV, an electric MPV which was first introduced in 2020 – at which point it was only the second model in the brand’s all-electric EQ line-up – and shares its roots with the eVito van. The EQV has now received an update (as has its ICE-powered counterpart, the V-Class MPV) which Mercedes says is intended to take the model more upmarket.
Exterior design changes include new front and rear-end looks, including new grille and light signature designs, along with chrome detailing, and new aerodynamically-optimised alloy wheels.
Only a single Executive equipment grade is available, but the EQV does come with a choice of Long (5,140mm) and Extra Long (5,370mm) bodystyles – the Long is tested here.
Interior and technology
Climb aboard and the EQV’s commercial vehicle origins are immediately clear, with a driving position that’s very much van-like, as you sit fairly high and upright with the steering wheel beneath you. There are some less commercial interior materials used, with lots of wood-look trim on the dashboard, and also leather about the cabin, though with some more hard-wearing plastics lower down. We’d say the impression is more of a veneer of Mercedes luxury being applied to a van rather than anything more substantive – the creaks and rattles you get when driving along certainly sound like you’re in a commercial vehicle.
The EQV gets a pair of screens – a driver display and infotainment touchscreen – which following the update have each increased in size to 12.3in, and run the latest MBUX software. The technology is familiar from the more regular Mercedes car range, but the high driving position means the infotainment screen feels some distance away. Fortunately, physical controls, including those for the ventilation system, are closer to hand. Other interior elements of the update include new-look air vents and a new-generation steering wheel.
The cabin’s second and third-row seats are arranged in a typical minibus style – and not much more luxuriously trimmed than you’d expect from that setting. The seats can slide around to suit specific carrying requirements, but even with them all in place there’s a good amount of boot space – which clearly could become an enormous load area were seats to be removed.
Drive and performance
The EQV comes with a 204hp electric motor, and although 0-62mph acceleration in 12.1 seconds might sound a bit pedestrian it feels fine for an MPV – although we tested the car alone, so with a full load of passengers perhaps things would be different.
At the risk of overdoing the van comparison, the overall driving experience makes it a fairly obvious one. The steering is slow, and there’s a fair bit of roll in bends, although it isn’t wayward and the EQV feels quite happy breezing along a back road. Although it thuds a bit over speedhumps, the ride generally is not bad, though fairly unsophisticated. The high driving position also provides excellent visibility.
Other than some interior materials and infotainment, there’s little here with the premium feel familiar to most Mercedes car drivers – but that hasn’t persuaded the manufacturer to a lower price point. Instead, the EQV starts at more than £92,000, which seems very expensive, given that a top-spec Vauxhall Vivaro Life – a model which like the EQV is closely related to a medium van – is more than £35,000 cheaper. The Mercedes does have a more powerful motor and stronger expected residual values, but still, a premium of more than 20p per mile on a three-year/60,000-mile use cycle is tough to justify given the underwhelming nature of the EQV’s luxury makeover. We suspect demand for the Mercedes will chiefly come from high-end taxi operators who need a three-pointed star on the bonnet – for anyone else it’s tough to recommend.
Positive: Highly practical, good visibility
Negative: Very expensive, van-like driving experience
Standard equipment: LED headlights with high beam assist, electric sliding doors, privacy glass, heated front seats, automatic climate control, 64-colour ambient lighting, Easy-Pack tailgate, MBUX multimedia system with smartphone integration, 12.3in driver display, wireless smartphone charging, adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist.
Engines: Electric: 204hp
Equipment grades: Executive Long, Executive Extra-Long
Transmissions: Single-speed automatic
| Model | Mercedes-Benz EQV 300 Executive Long |
| P11D | £92,150 |
| Residual value | 50.2% |
| Depreciation | £45,893 |
| Fuel | £5,674 |
| Service, maintenance and repair | £2,034 |
| Cost per mile | 89.33p |
| Range | 222 miles |
| CO2 (BIK%) | 0g/km (2%) |
| BIK 20/40% a month | £31/£61 |
| Luggage capacity | 610 litres |
| Battery size/power | 90kWh/204hp |
| Score | 5/10 |
