First comparison Mercedes EQC vs BMW iX3

With a single engine, the new BMW iX3 seems clearly at a disadvantage in the fight with the Mercedes EQC. However, we made a first static comparison. First impressions Mercedes EQC vs BMW iX3.

At the beginning of 2021, the BMW iX3 will debut in the segment of premium electric middle class SUVs. Thus, a new chapter in the traditional BMW-Mercedes confrontation will begin.

The BMW iX3 is the first BMW to be built in China for the global market. And Europeans will have to wait until the beginning of 2021. Since BMW has already communicated all the official data, we can make a first static comparison with the Mercedes EQC which has been on the market for almost 1 year. And the differences are huge.

BMW iX3 is the most economical

With only one engine compared to two engines on the Mercedes EQC, the BMW iX3 was expected to be slightly more economical. The official range of the BMW iX3 is 460 km according to the WLTP cycle and energy consumption between 18.5 and 19.5 kWh/100 km.
The Mercedes EQC has a range of between 370 and 414 km according to WLTP, while energy consumption is between 20.5 and 23.2 kWh/100 km.

The fact that BMW consumes less is due on the one hand to the fact that it has a single engine and secondly because BMW’s engine is a synchronous engine that is lighter, more powerful and more efficient than the asynchronous ones in the Mercedes EQC.

The BMW iX3 has more autonomy although the battery is smaller. BMW has a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 80 kWh gross (74 kWh net) while Mercedes has a battery with a gross capacity of 93 kWh of which 80 kWh can be used.

Mercedes EQC is much faster

Produced in Shenyang, China, BMW’s only engine develops a maximum power of 286 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm, the average power being only 109 hp. the two Mercedes engines deliver 408 hp and no less than 760 Nm.
Mercedes does not only have two engines, but each engine drives one axle so that the EQC has all-wheel drive, while at BMW the only engine drives only the rear axle.

Thus, the BMW iX3 is much slower than its Stuttgart rival. The Mercedes EQC accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds while the BMW iX3 needs 6.8 seconds, 1.7 seconds more.
Top speed no longer plays such an important role in electric models and in the vast majority of cases it is limited. Thus, the Mercedes EQC and BMW iX3 reach the same maximum speed of 180 km/h.

In the case of electric cars, the speed at which they charge at the outlet is more important. The BMW iX3 can be charged from DC outlets with up to 150 kW, so in only 34 minutes its battery is charged to 80%.
The Mercedes EQC can draw a maximum of 110 kW at a DC station, so it needs about 40 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%.

Comparable dimensions

The Mercedes EQC is based on the GLC platform while the BMW iX3 is basically an electric X3. Thus, the two models have almost the same length (4,761 mm Mercedes, 4,734 mm BMW) and Mercedes has a small advantage in wheelbase (2,873 mm compared to 2,864 mm in BMW). The Chinese from Munchen is 7 mm wider and 45 mm higher than the Mercedes EQC.

The standard boot volumes are also comparable, with BMW having an advantage over the trunk volume with the rear backrest folded: 510-1,560 liters compared with 500-1,460 liters at Mercedes.
With only one engine, BMW is lighter, with only 2,260 kg, while Mercedes EQC is 235 kg heavier.
In this way, BMW offers also a better payload of 540 kg compared with 445 kg in case of Mercedes. But if you want to pull a caravan after you, BMW’s only engine can only tow a weight of 750 kg compared to 1.8 tons on the Mercedes EQC.

BMW iX3 is expensive

We expected the BMW iX3 to be cheaper being made in China and having a single engine with a much lower power than the Mercedes EQC.
Surprisingly, it’s not like that. BMW iX3 costs 69,800 euros, being more expensive (!!!) by a few hundred euros than Mercedes EQC which has a starting price of 69,484 euros.