Mercedes-Benz EQB price and features: Seven-seat EV promises family-focused flexibility
The Mercedes-Benz EQB EV will arrive with a choice of five or seven seats, making it one of the first properly family-focused electric vehicles to be offered in Australia.
The all-electric SUV is the third ‘EQ’ product to arrive – joining the EQA and EQC in Australia – but this time Mercedes is clearly targeting the family market, much like Tesla with its Model X.
Based on the ICE-powered GLB, the Mercedes-Benz EQB rides on a sizeable 2829-millimetre wheelbase, and the brand promises “family-friendly” packaging, including an acreage of boot space and the choice between five or seven seats.
Seven-seat models get 110-litres of luggage room with all three rows of seating in place, but stow that row – which, of course, is removed entirely in five-seat models – and you’ll find 465 litres. Stow the second row, too, and you’ve almost got an electric moving van, with 1620 litres on offer.
All of which is enough, Mercedes says, to “easily accommodate bikes, surfboards, golf clubs and carts, and even large furniture items”. This, then, is an EV with family life in mind.
So how are they powering this big unit? Mercedes has fitted the EQB with a 66.5kWh (useable energy) battery that’s fitted in modules under the floor. But exactly how much range you get depends on which one you buy,
The entry-level EQB 250, offered with two or three rows of seating, is equipped with a single e-motor positioned at the front wheels, and which produces 140kW and 385Nm of torque. According to Mercedes, that model will deliver around 371km (WLTP) in driving range.
The range then climbs to the Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC, which, as the name suggests, adds a second e-motor at the rear axle for a combined 215kW and 520Nm and AWD – enough to dispatch 100km/h in 6.2 seconds. The trade-off, though, is a slightly lower driving range, with the 350 4MATIC delivering 360kms (WLTP) between charges.
Mercedes is yet to detail charging times, but the EQB is set up for 11kW AC charging, and 100kW DC charging.
You can expect the usual collection of niceties in the cabin, including twin 10.25-inch screens, ARTICO-wrapped seats which are heated up front, wireless charging, dual-zone climate and full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
There’s also adjustable damping suspension, LED headlights and 19-inch AMG alloys (20-inch in the EQB 350 4MATIC).
The EQB 250 is priced at $87,800 in standard five-seat configuration, while selecting a third row of seats adds $2900. The 350 4MATIC is $106,700, and is a five-seat model only.
