Mercedes-Benz EQB First Drive Review

The dawn of a new era at Mercedes-Benz globally, as the company, pushes out one new electric car after another. The Mercedes-Benz EQB is a compact, yet roomy offering based on the GLB-Class in some ways. It has 3 variants and the option of 3-row seating here in Germany. But we will get that as standard - significant since it will be India's first 3-row electric SUV when it arrives later in the year. We will also get the Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4MATIC variant - meaning a good amount of power, and the all-wheel-drive (AWD) as standard. I am in Stuttgart and testing the car's top spec - the EQB 350 4MATIC. But the dynamics and overall trim are still similar to the 300 that we are getting.

The EQB shares a fair amount with the Mercedes-Benz GLB, including body panels.

Now to begin with the EQB will be a CBU which is a completely built import. It will at some point transition to becoming locally built as well. So while a subsequent variant may be more India-specific, the car we get will pretty much carry the German/European specification. So while there may be no rear AC vents, for instance, you do get a lot of tech and luxury. The EQB shares a fair amount with the Mercedes-Benz GLB, including body panels. That is why the EQB has the same silhouette and stance as the GLB. The EQS is built on an electric-only platform (EVA 2), which means the cars are derived from the start just to be electric.

We are testing the car's top spec - the EQB 350 4MATIC.

On the other hand, the EQC (the first electric car from Mercedes-Benz) was on what was essentially the GLC's platform (called EVA 1, anyway). In the case of the EQB, it is an in-between situation. So it's called EVA 1.5 electric vehicle architecture. That name shows you that it's kind of in between, which means that while it is an electric platform in its layout, it still takes a lot of the components from the GLB in this case.

Design

So while that's just a little bit of a background on this car for you, it will help you to understand its design - which is very much like the GLB's. The car has an upright stance and a very boxy shape. This was intentional as the GLB was meant to evoke more of the G-Wagon theme than a swoopy crossover vibe (like the GLA and GLC - since it sits in between them). This is also because the GLB has three-row seating as an option, and the headroom at the back becomes important. The EQB emulates this and maintains a similar look. The exaggerated greenhouse with a vertical glass section also enhances the traditional SUV look, with a sense of space and ride height.

1. There are blue elements in the headlamp cluster denoting its electric heart. 2. The car has an upright stance and a very boxy shape. 3. The EQB also has distinctly connected taillights. 4. The alloy wheels look striking. 

The EQB also has thick cladding that helps the SUV character, and there's an added chrome garnish along its wheelbase - which signifies the position of the battery pack. The EQB also has distinctly connected taillights - very much on trend - but it also gives the car its own unique look. The same is true for the EQ family look front grille - finished in glossy black. The EQB badging, the striking alloy wheels, and the blue elements of the EQ range all around - like in the headlamp cluster, all give the car its identity. The EQB is smart, and the rose gold exterior paint colour on my test car sure stands out. That colour also features inside the car's cabin in a big way.

The EQB is smart, and the rose gold exterior paint colour on my test car sure stands out.

Cabin and Tech

The car's interior is distinct enough and yet familiar to Mercedes-Benz territory. The cool MBUX double screen layout, with attractive graphics and now familiar functionality. The virtual instrument cluster can be customised to also give you EV-specific readouts like battery range etc. The central touchscreen has connectivity, entertainment, and car feature controls - as you'd expect. The sense of space in the cabin will impress you. All that glass coverage I was talking about earlier contributes to that. You also get a good view of the outside environment.

The cool MBUX double screen layout, with attractive graphics, look amazing with ambient lights on.  

The seat height - especially in row two could be a tad higher, and I'd like a bit more under-thigh support. But the seats are fairly comfy otherwise. The fabric trim is nice, and I hope that makes it to India too. The EQB is great on legroom in the front two rows. Mercedes-Benz is clear that row three is for kids, and not really meant for adults. In Germany row three is optional, in India it will be standard. And as I said, will give us the first 3-row EV in the country. The seats will still fold up to give you more boot space if needed.

1. The central touchscreen has connectivity, entertainment, and car feature controls. 2. The virtual instrument cluster can be customised to also give you EV-specific readouts like battery range etc. 3. The fabric trim is nice. 4. The seats will still fold up to give you more boot space if needed.

The rose gold accents on the AC vents will be standard for India by the way. And the colour is also offered as an element in the key fob! It does stand out, doesn't it? It also looks upmarket and sophisticated - I must grudgingly admit!

Rose gold accents are also offered on the key fob.

Performance and Handling

In the front, the driver and passenger seat has a commanding view of the road, and you get an instant sense of driving an SUV. But in terms of the way the car handles, especially it's steering, it has a more compact car feel. To me, both those things being married into one vehicle is a good thing. It gives you better manoeuvrability, more comfort, and better on-road dynamics and yet fulfills that whole requirement of being a big SUV. That's something that everybody will love. Now while the EQB does share a lot with the GLB in terms of components, it's obviously not true in terms of how it drives. There is a distinct difference in the character that comes of any electric car versus its ICE (internal combustion engine) counterpart. Here too, the dynamics are completely different.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB accelerates very well. You can put it into Sport mode to really get that full, energetic feeling. Individual, Sport, Comfort, and Eco are the drive modes on offer like any Mercedes. On Eco is where it suddenly pulls you back and doesn't give you very quick acceleration.

The steering feedback is commendable, giving better manoeuvrability, more comfort, and better on-road dynamics.

But then of course that's designed to be more efficient to save some of the battery power. The EQB 300 gives you a 225 bhp output, with 390 Nm of peak torque. The numbers are healthy, and the car's performance is more impressive than you will expect. The battery is a 66.5 kWh pack, and the car uses an asynchronous motor in the front and a permanently excited synchronous motor at the rear.

With 225 bhp on offer, the car's performance is more impressive than you will expect.

Having the dual motor setup not only gives you AWD or 4MATIC as Mercedes likes to call it, but also great handling and a much better sense of grip than what you'd expect from a car of this height and size. And the steering just complements that effort making it a lot more fun to drive than I had expected.

Range and Regeneration

Regenerative braking gives you power back into the battery, and there are four modes you can use. But unlike the EQC and EQS, the modes here are different. You can change modes using the paddle shift. So there's D+ where there's absolutely no resistance and you get no regeneration whatsoever - giving you smooth coasting. Or then you can go to D where you get a little bit of that resistance, and some energy gets recuperated. And then you got D- (minus) which is almost single-pedal driving. But instead of a D- - (minus minus) you have something called D auto.

The claimed mileage by WLTP standards is 419 km. In India, we should expect a similar range on the EQB

That's a mode where the car gauges the temperature, navigation and traffic information, and the road surface. And it gives you the ideal amount of regeneration. The auto mode is actually pretty smart, and if you don't drive with a heavy foot - you get better range. The claimed mileage by WLTP standards is 419 km. In India, we should expect a similar claim on the car.

Expect the EQB to be priced at around Rs. 85 lakh and it will come in one fully-loaded trim

Launch and Expected Pricing

Expect the EQB to arrive by the festive season. For starters, we will get the EQB 300 4MATIC, though if the car does well, there could be more variants later. So to recap, we will get the 7-seater, with AWD as standard, and a fully loaded trim. Expect prices to hover in the Rs. 85 lakh range. And it will come with a standard wall box charger - included in that price.