New Mercedes C-Class EV interior dwarfs Blackpool Illuminations with huge 39.1 touchscreen

Mercedes has shown the interior of its upcoming all-electric C-Class EV, just days before its official launch at an event in South Korea next week.

Expected to be known as the C-Class with EQ Technology, this sixth-generation version of  Stuttgart’s compact executive marks the first time it has been sold with an electric-only powertrain.

The electric C-Class’s interior boasts a 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen running the width of the dashboard. The cabin is a largely buttonless affair, with a row of tactile switches adjacent to the wireless charging pad sitting below the enormous screen.

As well as sharing a visually similar cabin with the all-electric GLC, the C-Class EV rides on the same running gear as its SUV cousin, Mercedes’ 800V MB.EA architecture, promising over 450 miles of range.

The all-electric C-Class is the world’s second car with an interior certified by the Vegan Society, and Mercedes boss, Ola Källenius, described the cabin as “a new benchmark for quality, craftsmanship and comfort”. He added that this latest car is “the most spacious and most intelligent C-Class ever.”

Striking geometrics paired with a bold use of metal, light, and various materials, including vegan and (optional) Nappa leather, “enrich” the cabin. Meanwhile, the front seats promise a more comfortable ride than the outgoing car.

This is in part down to the front seats’ four-way, electro-pneumatic lumbar support, which “adapts the backrest to the natural curvature of the spine”. Unsurprisingly, they also feature heating, venting and massage capabilities.

Extensive front and rear sound insulation, specially refined electric motors, and an automatic dehumidifier contribute to the electric C-Class’s “exceptionally quiet” and “cocooning atmosphere”.

Like the GLC, top-end versions of the electric Mercedes C-Class come with a Burmeister 4D Surround Sound system that fits bass-transmitting transducers into the seats, allowing passengers to “feel” the music. Up top, the C-Class EV comes with an optional Sky Control panoramic roof finished with 162 illuminated three-pointed stars.

Pricing is expected to be announced at Monday’s launch, but we can expect the electric C-Class to start around the £50k mark, putting it firmly in the sights of its long-term rival, the new, 559-mile BMW i3.