Another day, another carmaker unveils plans for the all-electric future we’re riding inevitably towards. This is the Mercedes EQ C, and its Merc’s first all-electric car for general sale.

Now, you may remember that Mercedes has forayed into electric motoring before. There was the all-electric SLS AMG, and a quietly released (and quietly discontinued) all-electric B-Class. But the EQ C is different. It marks the launch of a whole new sub-brand for Mercedes – EQ. Going forward, anything badged EQ will be one of Mercedes’ all-electric cars.

So, the Mercedes EQ C: As you can see it’s a mid-size SUV that’ll wade into battle with the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. Looks-wise, though, it’s much more conservative than those other two cars. There are light bars at the front and rear, and fancy blue wheel spokes, but there’s no mistaking this as a member of the current crop of Mercedes. Clearly, though, Mercedes is hoping not to alienate too many buyers with the EQ C.

It’s the same story inside, too. The interior looks similar to the current crop of E-Class, S-Class and A-Class cars, with dual-screen set-ups atop a smooth and flowing centre console. Sure, the screens will display information related to the battery pack and range, rather than power and fuel, but the general layout is the same.

On the battery pack, you get an 80 kWh lithium-ion battery beneath the floor of the car, keeping the centre of gravity low. It produces the equivalent of 400 bhp and 564 lb-ft of torque. That’s not bad at all. Unfortunately, because the Mercedes EQ C is so heavy (2.4 tonnes), performance isn’t ballistic – it’ll take you 5.1 seconds to get to 100 km/h, and top speed is 180 km/h.

Still, that rather misses the point of Mercedes EQ C, which is much more about comfort and refinement. There’s only one driving mode for Sport, but three dedicated to comfort and range. You can choose, Comfort, Eco or Max Range, the latter of which will enable you to travel 450 km on a full charge, Mercedes claims. We’d reckon on closer to 400 km/h in real-world driving, but that still isn’t bad for an all-electric car.

Plus, Mercedes has also created a bespoke Wallbox, which will charge the EQ C three times faster than a standard home plug. And it’ll also take DC charging, going from 10% to 80% capacity in around 40 minutes.

What do you think, Internet? Would you have this, a Jaguar I-Pace or a Tesla Model X?