Mercedes had us quite excited when it revealed the EQT Concept back in 2021, showing a stylish small people carrier that could have been one of the best looking such vehicles ever made. However, for the production version that it recently revealed, the manufacturer completely ditched the concept’s unique front fascia, which would have significantly differentiated it from the internal combustion-engined T-Class on which it’s based.
In fact, you would be hard-pressed to tell EQT and T-Class apart without seeing the badging or whether the vehicle has an exhaust pipe or not. It’s definitely a disappointment in the design department mostly because our expectations were set high by the study, but also because the T-Class’ design quickly betrays the fact that it is based on the Renault Kangoo van.
The latest Kangoo is also the basis for the Nissan Townstar and Opel/Vauxhall Combo, both of which are available as EVs with the exact same specs. All these related vehicles are manufactured by Renault at its Mauberg plant in France.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz EQT Marco Polo Concept
The EQT borrows its powertrain and battery from the Kangoo E-Tech, so it features a 45 kWh battery pack that feeds a front-mounted 122 horsepower (90 kW) motor with a torque rating of 245 Nm (180 lb-ft). These numbers won’t make the EQT particularly quick - we estimate that it will need around or over 13 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph).
Mercedes says the EQT is good for a WLTP range of 175 miles (280 km) and it can charge from 20 to 80 percent in 38 minutes at a maximum 80 kW; its on-board AC charger tops out at 11 kW as standard, but it can be upgraded to 22 kW, which will be able to add 170 km (105 miles) of range in 30 minutes, according to the manufacturer.
At first only the short-wheelbase EQT will be offered, but a long-wheelbase model will be added to the range at a later date. There will also be what the manufacturer calls a “micro camper” version of called the EQT Marco Polo, previewed by the close-to-production concept in the gallery above.
