Mercedes-Benz Korea, the Korean unit of the German carmaker, said Thursday that it would push future mobility this year and roll out the new EQC crossover, its first fully electric sport utility vehicle.

Declaring 2019 as the “year of EQ,” the company said it would launch four new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in addition to the new fully electric SUV, as well as nine new models and six facelifted ones to strengthen its product lineup.

The exact local launch date remains undecided, the company said. 

As part of its efforts to focus on electrification and innovative technology, the automotive firm will also introduce electric-vehicle charging services for those who purchase the EQC in Korea. 

Under the membership program Mercedes me Charge, drivers can access all electric-vehicle charging stations nationwide and the one-on-one EQ concierge service. 

“Korea is moving very fast in building (a) network for public and private charging stations. We are working closely with local suppliers, such as small and medium-sized companies, to develop (a) navigation system so the drivers (will be able) to easily find the nearest charging station,” Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis told reporters.

“We will do our utmost to provide the best products and services in the upcoming era of future mobility, and also strive to reward customers’ trust by taking responsibility as a partner of the Korean economy and society and as the leader of the import car industry,” he added. 

In November, the company expanded its R&D Center in Korea, with an aim to benefit from collaboration with local companies to advance its technologies for the driver assistance system and connected car technology. 

Last year, the automotive firm topped the industry by selling 70,798 vehicles here, up 2.8 percent from 68,861 units a year earlier.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)