Close on the heels of the flagship EQS, Mercedes-Benz has now unveiled the Mercedes-Benz EQB electric SUV. The EQB sits between the EQA and the EQC and, like these SUVs, is also derived from the traditionally powered Mercedes GLB. The Mercedes-Benz EQB shares its underpinnings with the EQA and will come with numerous battery and output options globally. The EV will debut in China first in its seven-seater guise and will be available in its EQB 350 4MATIC guise, which uses a dual-motor set up to make a combined 292 hp.
The European version debuting later this year will come in various power and battery options, starting with a 66.5 kWh battery pack and making up to 272 hp and covering 478 kilometres as per the NEDC cycle on a full charge. Both front and all-wheel-drive options will be available. The EQB can charge at 100 kW and regain 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes via a fast charger.
The new SUV gets the now-familiar visual tweaks to differentiate it from its IC-engine cousins. There is a more aerodynamically efficient front end with the blacked-out grille, new headlamps with blue highlights and revised bumpers, while at the rear, there are full-width LED taillamps. The number plate has now moved to the new rear bumper, while there are aero-optimised wheels of up to 20 inches in size with rose gold or blue highlights.
On the inside, the Mercedes-Benz EQB’s dash is largely a carryover from the GLB. So, you get the same free-standing twin 10.25-inch display and the turbine-style vents with the slim aluminium switchgear. Added to the EQB is a backlit trim piece on the passenger side with spiral detailing, rose-gold vent highlights, while the MBUX instrumentation features unique Mercedes-EQ graphics. The third row can accommodate children or adults of up to five feet, four inches in height. The wheelbase is 2,829mm.
The Mercedes-Benz EQB is the fourth addition to Mercedes’s full-electric line-up led by the bespoke EQS. With an India launch not planned for the Mercedes GLB, it is unlikely that this electric version is here. Mercedes-Benz India currently sells the EQC here, priced at Rs 1.04 crore.