Mercedes EQC 4×4² shows what Mercedes can do with an EXTREME off-road electric EQC

Mercedes is showing off what it can do with an electric SUV, turning the EQC SUV in to the extreme off-road Mercedes EQC 4×4².

We’ve seen Mercedes play with the ‘4×4²’ recipe before, endowing the G 500 with portal axles to create the Mercedes G 500 4×4² concept and playing in a similar way to create the Mercedes-AMG G65 4×4².

But as Mercedes drive towards electrification, the latest ‘4×4²’ to be revealed is the Mercedes EQC 4×4², a regular electric EQC taken to the off-road max with portal axles and more to make it as good as it can be with properly tough off-road action.

The Portal Axles – which allows the driveshafts to be offset above the centre line of the hubs – give the EQC 4×4² the sort of off-road chops you just wouldn’t expect from an electric family SUV, with some impressive height, angle and wading figures.

The EQC 4×4²’s ground clearance doubles to 11.5″ (a chunk more than even the G-Wagen), a 17.5″ wading depth and approach and departure angles of 31.8 and 33 degrees respectively.

The EQC 4×4² gets 20″ wheels with 285/50 R20 rubber, covered by wheelarch extensions, and to emphasise the butch credentials Mercedes has used the headlamp housings as amplifiers for a more suitable bass note for the electric ‘noise’.

There are no plans to put the EQC 4×4² in to production, but it shows what can be done with the regular 400bhp electric EQC.