Mercedes-Benz EQC Edition 1886 pays homage to the birth of the car
Special-edition electric crossover debuts at the New York Auto Show.
Back in 1886, a man named Karl Benz received what is regarded as the first patent for a car -- the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. That car, of course, eventually led to Daimler-Benz and thus the Mercedes-Benz car company we know today. Fast forward to 2019 and Mercedes claims that it sees the forthcoming introduction of its all-electric EQC crossover as significant a change in personal mobility as that first car. That feels like a bit of a stretch, but either way, the Mercedes is paying homage with a special version of the EQC that puts "1886" right up there in the name. The Mercedes EQC Edition 1886 debuted Wednesday at the New York Auto Show .
The blacked-out grille, new wheels and fender badges distinguish this model.
The Edition 1886 is offered only with silver exterior paint, accented by several special trim pieces. It has a black front grille with high-gloss black surround, blue "1886" fender badges and 20-inch, 10-spoke gloss-black wheels with white accents. The car's seats have a two-tone treatment with Indigo Blue and black upholstery and "1886" embroidery, while the floor mats also get embroidered "EQC" emblems.
Mercedes also equips the Edition 1886 with its optional Burmester sound system, the Energizing Comfort system that can use fragrances, mood lighting and special playlists to chill out drivers, and the Energizing Coach system that takes input from things like traffic, weather and even certain smartwatches to recommend an appropriate Energizing mode.
Aside from those changes, the Edition 1886 is identical to every other Mercedes-Benz EQC. The forthcoming all-electric crossover will use two electric motors, rated for a combined 402 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque. That'll get the EQC to 60 mph in a claimed 4.9 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 112 mph.
Seats also bear the "1886" logo.
Perhaps more important for an electric car, however, is the EQC's battery details. The lithium-ion has a capacity of 80 kilowatt-hours and, under European testing, can deliver 277 to 293 miles of driving range. We're still waiting, however, for an official US-market EPA driving range figure.
The Mercedes-Benz EQC and its Edition 1886 go on sale in the US in 2020. By then it'll have plenty of other electric luxury crossover competition, with entrants like the Tesla Model Y and Audi E-Tron.
