First drive: Mercedes-Benz EQC 4x4² concept

Eberle said the ground clearance has increased by 153mm over the standard EQC, at 293mm, which gives Mercedes-Benz’s latest four-wheel-drive prototype 58mm more clearance than the standard Mercedes G-Class.

The approach angle is up by 11.2deg, at 31.8deg, and the departure angle increases 13.0deg to 33.0deg. The crucial breakover angle has also been improved by 12.6deg, at 24.2deg, and the fording depth is up by 150mm to 400mm.

What’s it like to drive?

Our test of the EQ 4x4² took place in a large quarry that had been turned into an off-road park with deep sand, water crossings, muddy patches, rocky tracks, steep inclines, treacherous declines and side slopes, among other obstacles. It’s hardly the place you’d expect to see a leather-lined EV. But that in itself is part and parcel of this car's appeal.

Climbing up into the new prototype is quite a stretch, but once you’ve reached the elevated driver’s seat, it’s all fairly familiar and every bit as well finished as the standard EQC.

It’s a strange feeling being perched well above the ground, but the view is quite commanding in the same way that it is in Mercedes-Benz’s other portal-axle creations, although you can’t see the corners very well.

We move off in complete silence but the sound of gravel beneath the tyres quickly replaces it. The strong torque delivered by the twin electric motors provides convincing propulsion in all situations. Despite the rugged and sometimes treacherous conditions, it feels strong and powerful.

All up, there are seven driving modes, although we concentrated mostly on the most extreme of them: Off-Road Plus. Eberle and his team have altered the throttle mapping of the standard EQC and it allows suitably sensitive modulation where the traction is questionable and you need to creep along at little more than walking speeds.    

The portal axles don’t feature reduction gears, so you cannot choose low-range gearing. However, the fixed-ratio gearbox provides exceptional smoothness, even at very low speeds when climbing. The steering is light in weighting but as precise as any off-roader I’ve driven, while the brakes offer a reassuring feel despite the large wheels and tyres.

One key advantage over conventional combustion-engined off-roaders is the tight turning circle, which gives the EQC 4x4² outstanding agility and a terrific sense of manoeuvrability. Wheel articulation is also very impressive – and there’s no rubbing of the tyres within the guards even when an individual spring is fully compressed.