B SPARKY & PRACTICAL (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_mercedeseqb_2022

By Jonathan Crouch

Mercedes delivers us the market's first mid-sized seven-seat EV. Jonathan Crouch drives the EQB.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 55

It's very difficult to package a mid-sized EV so effectively that up to seven people can sit inside it. But Mercedes has pulled off that feat with this car, the EQB, which usefully broadens its electric vehicle line-up. It's based of course on the combustion-engined GLB crossover and shares much of that car's premium appeal.

Backgroundword count: 188

There's a flood of mid-size Crossover electric vehicles out there at present. So any fresh class entrant had better have something fairly unique to offer. Fortunately, this one does: the Mercedes EQB. It's one of what seems like a continual stream of different Mercedes EQ electric models, with the 'B' in this case standing not for the brand's mini-MPV but designating instead something you may already have guessed from a quick glance at this car: the fact that this is the full-battery version of the Stuttgart maker's GLB mid-sized SUV. Engineering and technology-wise, this car shares everything that matters with its smaller EQA hatch stablemate - including a slightly compromised MFA2 chassis not originally designed for EV use. This model hails from quite a different production facility though. Instead of Rastatt in Germany, it's screwed together at Kecskemet in Hungary, where the GLB is built. A change from the original plan, which would have seen the EQB produced in Daimler's French Hambach plant alongside little smart cars. Regardless of provenance though, what we've got here looks as if it might be a smart choice for a forward-thinking family.

Driving Experienceword count: 431

The EQB sprints away from rest pretty quickly, despite tipping the scales at around 2.2-tonnes, a legacy of the fact that Mercedes makes this model run on an MFA2 platform originally designed for combustion models. That being the case, you might have expected the brand to have countered that extra bulk by fitting a powerful set of propulsion systems but if anything, the opposite is true here. The line-up kicks off with the same 190hp 250+ motor fitted to base versions of the EQA. Rest to 62mph takes 8.9s en route to the 99mph top speed that all EQBs share and range is up to 321 miles. If you don't want that, the alternative is the dual motor 300 4MATIC version, which can offer 225hp, so 0-62mph takes 9.0s; range is up to 271 miles. Still, you won't be choosing an EQB as an autobahn burner - and if you did, the 'burning' in question would primarily be through this model's rather restricted driving range - in a class where better versions of comparably priced rivals regularly deliver figures well over the 350 mile mark. Whatever variant of this model you choose, you'll find it easy to drive and particularly in its element around town, where you'll appreciate the light steering; and the compact 11.4-metre turning circle you might need for getting into those tight charging bays. If it's the 4MATIC version you're looking at, you might hope that a family EV with 4WD, particularly one with the 'mini-Gelanderwagen' looks of this EQB, might have a little extra capability to offer on rougher surfaces. But that would require the kind of higher ride height that would further worsen this model's EV driving range. Hence the fact that its 154mm ground clearance figure is actually lower than some family hatchbacks. The 4MATIC system can't even help you that much on slippery driveways or muddy carparks; not because of any fault in fundamental engineering - the extra front-mounted electric motor chips in almost instantly to help the main rear-mounted motor when slip is detected. Rather because the car's economy-orientated low rolling resistance tyres are found severely wanting for grip once you venture away from the tarmac. On the plus side though, the 4MATIC version of this car can manage a bit of towing weight - in contrast to many of its rivals, some of which haven't been rated for towing at all. An EQB can lug along a braked trailer of up to 1,800kgs, so could manage a medium-sized caravan, though what that would do to the car's EV range is anyone's guess.

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