Mercedes-Benz EQB review

If you are searching for an electric SUV with seven seats, there are very few options to choose from on the market right now, which means the Mercedes-Benz EQB is pretty unique. With a starting price of €65,000, a claimed 419 kilometre range and the added practicality of seven seats, it should prove popular with family buyers. But how does it compare to other premium EVs on the market and is it practical enough for daily family use?

Styling:

As the name suggests, the EQB is a fully-electric version of the Mercedes GLB and it is based on the same platform which explains why it looks so similar. You can tell this is the electric version with a closed off grille black grille, a fibre optic LED strip at the front and a charge port with AC and DC ports. As standard, it gets 18-inch alloy wheels, premium LED headlights and this one has optional metallic paint with chunky roof rails.

Inside:

Of course, the big selling point of the EQB is that is comes with an adjustable second row of seats and an optional third row of seats which are stored beneath the boot floor. Up to four child seats can be fitted in the second and third rows with ISOFIX mounts which is key for family buyers. As standard the EQB gets an electric tailgate and when you fold down all of the seats there is 1710 litres of room for flat pack furniture and bicycles. Sitting into the driver’s seat it feels spacious with a raised driving position, good visibility and plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment available. As standard it gets Mercedes’ latest MBUX system with a touch screen system on the centre console and another digital display for the driver.

The system is good to use with Apple Car Play and Android Auto built in, and voice recognition which can be temperamental at times. There’s plenty of storage with two cup holders, a small storage area underneath the arm rest, sizeable door bins and storage nets also. Quality is good throughout the cabin and a step up from other electric cars like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Kia EV6, although there are some hard plastics in places. The doors open nice and wide, and rear space is good with plenty of head room for average sized passengers and decent legroom too. 

Driving:

In Ireland there are three models to choose from; EQB 250, 300 or 350. The entry EQB 250 has a single electric motor, while this higher spec 300 model has two electric motors for all-wheel drive. All EQBs have a 66.5kWh battery with 228 horsepower and a claimed range of up to 419 kilometres from a full charge. Over mixed driving routes we achieved 21kWh/100km in efficiency during out test, with around 380 kilometres of driving from a full charge. There are different driving modes available with ECO, Comfort and Sport, but my own preference is to leave it in ECO to achieve the most range. Like most EVs it accelerates fast off the line, covering 0-100km/h in eight seconds, but more importantly, it cruises comfortably and is easy to drive. The EQB has a very good reversing camera as standard and the turning circle is good for tight spaces. The EQB can fast charge at up to 100kW which is good but not as fast as many other EVs on the market right now. This means charging from 10 up to 80 percent will take around 30 minutes. Most buyers will be charging at home however and to get a full charge it will be best to do this overnight. 

Models:

Mercedes-Benz offers the EQB in differnt specifications including Progressive, Electric Art and AMG-Line and equipment even from base specification the level of equipment is good, with leather upholstery, alumium roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels and a leather sports steering wheel included. The EQB also gets a lot of Safety equipment as standard, with active brake assist, lane keep assist, high beam assist and lots more.

Outro:

So should you buy the Mercedes-Benz EQB? Well if you are looking for an electric SUV with seven seats, it is one of the only options on the market right now, and it’s a very good one at that. It feels premium inside with lots of high quality materials, it’s refined to drive and it has a good real world range. Most importantly though, it offers lots of practicality for family buyers. That said, it has a high starting price tag with the EQB that we tested costing over €67,000, and although it is one of few seven seater EVs on the market right now that will change as more models become available on the market. All in, the Mercedes EQB is a strong family SUV that offers the advantage of low EV running costs.