The new Mercedes EQB – The EQ family becomes ever bigger

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The new Mercedes EQB comes as the fourth member of the EQ electric family. It follows in the footsteps of the EQC, the EQA and the recently revealed EQS luxury sedan. The premium car maker is thus accelerating the electric offensive.

An electric car with seven seats. Not many allow the layout. The Tesla Model S sedan with 7 seats has two of them installed in the boot. Only young kids would be capable of fitting in there. The Model X though, would be capable of accommodating seven adults.

So does the EQB. It permits people of up to 1.65 meters tall and the installation of child seats in the third row. The 7-seat layout is standard in China and optional elsewhere. Good news for big families. A total of up to four child seats can be fitted in rows two and three. One more can sit at the front.

The new Mercedes EQB sports, designed for the family

The new compact electric Mercedes-Benz EQB SUV measures 4,684 millimeters in length, 1,834 millimeters in width and 1,667 millimeters in height. It is thus slightly longer and taller than the GLB, but features an identical width.  The wheelbase reaches 2,829 millimeters, identical to that o the GLB.

The model provides a boot space of 1.710 liters (1620 for the 7-seater) with the backrests of the rear rows folded, 495 when they are up. Backrests can recline at various angles as standard. The sliding rear seats (by 140 millimeters) are optional, allowing the boot an extra volume of up to 190 liters. The third row can also flush into the load floor when necessary.

Mercedes claims a generous amount of space, with 1035 millimeters of headroom in the first row of seats and 979 in the second for the five-seater. 87 millimeters are for the kneeroom for the same variant.

interior Mercedes EQB

Customers will be able to order variants with a front-wheel or an all-wheel drive and various levels of output, some rated at over 200 kW. The Chinese market will get the EQB right from the launch with the AMG Line and an output of 215 kW.

Mercedes accounts the EQB 350 4MATIC with a combined electrical consumption of 19.2 kWh/100 km and a range of up to 419 kilometers by the WLTP standards. A battery back with a capacity of 66.5 kWh will store energy (for the European variants). A long-range version is also in the cards.

Until then, the battery of the EQB can charge at up to 11 kW when connected to AC, using the onboard charger. When connected to a DC station, the EQB can charge with a maximum power o up to 100 kW. It only requires 30 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%. The car will come equipped for AC and DC charging in Europe and USA, with a Combined Charging Systems connector, located in the right-hand side panel.

Mercedes EQB X 243, 2021

The new Mercedes EQB sports an electro design

Following the philosophy of progressive luxury, but in an edgy way, the new Mercedes EQB comes with the typical Mercedes-EQ black panel grille with the three-pointed star in the center. Continuous light fiber-optic strips show up at both front and rear ends.

Robust , with outwardly positioned wheels, the new Mercedes EQB has quite a stance on the road. It is a look highlighted by the light-alloy wheels in a bi- or tri- color design, up to 20 inches in size. Customers can also tick the box for rose gold-colored or blue decorative trim for the wheels.

The EQB sports an excellent drag coefficient with a Cd value of 0.28. It is also thanks to the completely closed cooling air control system in the upper section of the 2.53m2 frontal area, the aerodynamically efficient front and rear aprons, almost complete enclosed underbody and others.

The EQB also comes as standard with the Navigation with the Electric Intelligence. The system is capable of calculating routes considering the maximum charging power and duration of possible charging stops along the way. It also calculates the fastest rout depending on topography and weather.

dashboard Mercedes EQB X 243, 2021

The driver will benefit from the presence of a Widescreen Cockpit, with control and display via the MBUX. Tubular elements with aluminum look work as handles in the doors or grab handles in the center console and near the instrument panel.

Safety in the new Mercedes EQB

The Mercedes underwent the brand’s usual tough crash test program. No car rolls off the assembly line before the engineers make sure that it complies with the stringent requirements in terms of safety or he battery and all the components that channel the electrical current.

The new Mercedes EQB features a body based on that of the GLB, adapted to the special requirements of an electric car. A frame made of extruded sections shelters the battery pack. There is also a battery guard in the front area of the unit, that prevents its piercing by foreign objects.

Customers will get an EQB with intelligent driving assistant systems that support the driver. The Active Lane Assist and the Active Brake Assist come as standard. The Driving Assistance Package will bring the turning manoeuver function, the emergency corridor function, as well as the exit warning function. The latter alerts the driver of the approaching cyclists or cars. There is also a warning when the system detects pedestrians near zebra crossings.

The model will first hit the Chinese market, making its debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. It will roll off the assembly line of the Beijing-based factory. Europeans will receive it straight from the Mercedes Kecksemet plant in Hungary or Rastatt plant in Germany. The Mercedes-Benz subsidiary, Accumotive in Kamenz, and the Jawor factory in Poland will supply the batteries. Meanwhile, American customers will have to wait until 2022 to get it.

Mercedes-EQ, the electric offensive has begun

This year only, a total of four electric EQ models come into view. The 2021 electric offensive started with the EQA, it continued with the EQS luxury sedan and with the EQB compact SUV. The EQE business saloon will follow, becoming the fifth member of the electric family the EQS is also part of.

The hybrid family, currently including more than 20 model variants, will also expand with electrified options of the C-Class and S-Class. The premium car maker targets a share of approximately 13% of its total model range reserved for EVs and plug-in hybrids.