Mercedes-Benz had announced an aggressive sales strategy for 2020 in the Indian market. The company had announced 10 new models in the Indian market by early-2021. This included its all-electric SUV, the EQC.
The Mercedes-Benz EQC was initially expected to go on sale in India sometime this month. The German brand even introduced the EQ sub-brand in the Indian market earlier this year. However, with the escalating concerns of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, the launch plans have been postponed indefinitely.
Having said that, Mercedes-Benz is still looking forward to introducing most other models which were confirmed for the Indian market, earlier this year. The German luxury brand has already introduced the new GLA and GLE SUVs. Other upcoming models to India included the flagship GLS and the A-Class sedan. Mercedes-Benz has also started accepting bookings for the A-Class sedan in the Indian market as well.
Coming back to the Mercedes-Benz EQC, the electric SUV comes powered by two electric motors paired with an 80kWh lithium-ion battery pack. This electric powertrain produces 402bhp and 765Nm of peak torque while claiming a maximum range of 400km on a single charge. Once launched in India, the EQC electric SUV was said to rival the likes of the Audi e-Tron. However, Audi has also announced a similar plan of postponing the introduction of the e-Tron electric SUV in India.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a major toll on the Indian auto industry. With the country under a strict 21-day lockdown since the 24th of March, production and other operations have come to a complete halt.
Auto companies are now working on supporting the central and state governments by offering production and monetary help to acquire all the necessary medical equipment, aids and other essentials to fight against the deadly virus in India.