After the EQC and EQV, and this year, the EQA and the very recent EQS, the Stuttgart manufacturer's “family” of 100% electric models has a new element: the Mercedes-Benz EQB.
Like the EQA, the EQB shares the platform with its “brother” with a combustion engine, in this case the GLB (which uses the MFA-II platform, the same as… GLA and EQA).
The EQB follows the “recipe” of the EQA, that is, it not only has dimensions virtually identical to the GLB (length x width x height: 4684 mm x 1834 mm x 1667 mm) but also maintains the same bodywork as the GLB.
In this way, aesthetically, the differences between the electric and combustion models appear, once again, in the front and rear sections.
already known look
At the front, the grille ceases to be so, becoming a black panel, and we also have a thin LED luminous strip that joins the headlights — an element that already seems to be “mandatory” in Mercedes-Benz electric models.
At the rear, the adopted solutions are also very similar to those used in the EQA. In this way, the license plate was lowered from the tailgate to the bumper and the rear optics are also joined by a luminous strip.
At the front the traditional grill has disappeared.
Inside, everything is practically identical to the GLB we already know — from the two screens arranged horizontally to the circular turbine-type ventilation outlets — with the biggest differences being in the colors/decoration. As we saw first in the EQA, we have as an option a backlit panel in front of the front passenger.
Electric for families
Like the GLB, the new Mercedes-Benz EQB takes advantage of a longer wheelbase (2829mm) to offer seven seats (optional). According to the German brand, the two additional seats are intended for children or people up to 1.65 m tall.
The dashboard is the same as the GLB.
As for the luggage compartment, it offers between 495 l and 1710 l in the five-seater versions and between 465 l and 1620 l in the seven-seater variant.
Mercedes-Benz EQB numbers
For now, the only version of the EQB whose features have already been revealed is the one aimed at the Chinese market — the first public appearance will take place at the Shanghai Motor Show, China. There, it will be presented in the top-of-the-range version with a power of 292 hp (215 kW).
Around Europe, Mercedes-Benz has not yet revealed which engines the EQB will have. However, the German brand has revealed that its new SUV will be available in front and all-wheel drive versions, and in different power levels, with versions above 272 hp (200 kW).
As for the batteries, Mercedes-Benz revealed that those used by the European versions will have a capacity of 66.5 kWh, announcing for the EQB 350 4MATIC consumptions of 19.2 kWh/100 km and a range of 419 km, all in accordance with the WLTP cycle.
In the field of charging, the new Mercedes-Benz EQB can be charged at home (alternating current) with a power of up to 11 kW, while in high-speed stations (direct current) the German SUV can be charged with a power of up to 100 kW , which allows you to go from 10% to 80% charge in just 30 minutes.
Its initial presentation in China is also indicative of the first market where it will be sold, and is still produced there. After its launch in China, the German SUV will be launched in Europe later this year, with versions destined for the “Old Continent” to be produced at the Kecskemét plant, in Hungary. The launch on the American market is scheduled for 2022.