The Mercedes-Benz all-electric EQC has beaten all other competitors – including the Tesla Model 3 and a host of petrol and diesel competitors – to win a leading car of the year award.

The EQC was chosen by seven judges of the 2020 Wheels Car of the Year over 30 other finalists, credited it for living up to its WLTP-rated 353km driving range and ticking the luxury box for which Mercedes-Benz is known. It is, however, the first time the brand has won the award un 12 years.

One judge even went so far as to say it is the best car Mercedes-Benz has ever made. And this writer can certainly attest to the high end experience – with a smooth take off characteristic to electric vehicles combined with the new Mercedes-Benz MBUX user experience.

It’s not the first time an all-electric car has won the award – in 2014, the BMW i3 beat a strong line up of contenders including the Tesla Model S.

Judges said they were impressed by the Tesla Model 3’s “impressive and game-changing real-world functionality, along with advanced technology, and a ultra-competitive price”.

They were also impressed by its “genuine efficiency in the real-world” and its potential to “democratise electric vehicle ownership, all in a stylish and rapid package”.

But, it seems, it was the fact that the EQC offered something familiar – as opposed to the unconventional and minimalist Tesla Model 3, that won it the prize. The other finalists were the Mazda 3, the Porsche 911 and the Toyota Rav4.

As Wheels described it: “The crucial factor that got the EQC over the line is its normalcy in the face of futuristic technology – this is an EV without compromise.”