Mercedes-Benz EQB 2022 Review

There are two model grades available in the new 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB line-up, starting at $87,800 plus on-road costs for the front-wheel drive, five-seater EQB 250, and rising to $106,700 plus ORCs for the sportier and more powerful EQB 350 with 4MATIC all-wheel drive.

Only the entry-level Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 is available with seven seats, requiring another $2900 for a three-row option that’s unique in the EV class at the moment.

The new EQB is significantly cheaper than Mercedes-Benz’s other battery-electric mid-size SUV, the EQC that’s priced from $122,724 plus ORCs.

However, it’s more expensive than Australia’s current EV darling and the most popular electric SUV in Australia (and the world), the Tesla Model, which opens at $72,300 plus ORCs.

Mercedes also offers combustion-engined versions of the mid-size SUV, the GLB, which costs around $14,000 less for the entry-level model.

Mercedes-Benz Australia expects to only import around 80 EQB EVs per month, at most, for the foreseeable future, and doesn’t expect to have any trouble shifting them.

The low volume means customer delivery times will be “market average”, according to Mercedes-Benz, which is roughly six to eight months.

As such, the Mercedes-Benz EQA small electric SUV is expected to remain the brand’s top-selling EV for the time being, and the EQB won’t pose a threat in the short-term to the Model Y, which is selling like hotcakes – in large quantities – in Australia.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 is powered by a single electric motor and is handsomely equipped, starting with 19-inch alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, tinted windows, roof rails and LED high-performance headlights with adaptive high beam assist.

Step inside the EV and you’ll find keyless entry and push-button motor start, twin 10.25-inch screens, a parking package with 360-degree camera system, dual-zone climate control, adjustable ambient LED cabin lighting and heated front seats finished with black or beige vegan (‘Artico’ in Benz-talk) leather seat upholstery.

All models also get a mid-spec 225W sound system with 10 speakers.

Step up to the EQB 350 and you get twin e-motors, bigger 20-inch alloy wheels and the sporty AMG line exterior package.

Inside, AMG line features include a flat-bottom steering wheel, AMG stitching on the dashboard, AMG floor mats, an (almost) panoramic dual-pane sunroof and upgraded sports seats with microfibre or suede inserts and overt stitching. AMG leather upholstery is a $1700 option.

Oddly, power-operated front seats are nowhere to be seen until you start forking out more money ($1023), which is disappointing given the starting price of both models. There’s also no seat cooling or head-up display fitted standard.

Mercedes is expected to offer a complimentary Chargefox subscription like other EQ vehicles, which means free and unfettered access to public fast chargers.

Buyers can also purchase a 22kW wallbox charger for $1709, but that doesn’t include installation which will add between $500 and $1000.

There are several option packs, chief among them the MBUX Innovations bundle ($2500) which adds a head-up display, augmented reality satellite navigation and MBUX interior assist. The latter includes an internal 360-degree camera that tracks passenger movements and illuminates relevant regions of the cabin, for example.

Flat Polar White and Night Black are the only standard exterior paint options. It costs $1490 for metallic paint, including the hero colour, Rose Gold. There’s also a Mountain Grey Magno hue for $3300.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is also offering Edition 1 package upgrades ($9100 on EQB 250, $3900 on EQB 350) that adds black side mirrors, black roof rails, rose gold 20-inch alloy wheels, illuminated door sill panels, unique Neva grey leather, rose gold interior trim around the air vents and Edition 1 badges and floor mats.

Built in Hungary, the EQB carries a five-year/unlimited-kilometre factory warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years/160,000km.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on European testing carried out in 2019.

Fundamentally the same as its GLB cousin, albeit significantly heavier due to the fitment of a 469kg battery pack under the floor, the EQB features nine airbags covering the first and second seat rows, adaptive LED headlights, active brake assist and route-based speed adaptation.

All models are fitted with a comprehensive driver assistance package including fairly effective active steering and lane keep assistance systems, adaptive cruise control, active speed limit assist, traffic sign recognition and active blind spot assist.

You get a good deal of tech in the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB, starting with the most obvious – a pair of high-definition 10.25-inch flat-panel screens.

There’s heaps of functionality and depth in the MBUX operating system and useful EV-specific live data and info on offer, like charging options, energy flow and energy consumption.

The voice-operated ‘Hey Mercedes’ widget is pretty cool but the user experience around the touch-screen and digital driver’s display isn’t as intuitive and seamless as its rivals, such as BMW and Tesla.

All models come with (wired) Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is what most owners will probably use because it’s easier and faster to get things done and allows you to use your favourite apps.

There’s also a Mercedes me Connect app that allows the owner to tap into a variety of digital services.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 is propelled by a single electric motor generating 140kW of power and 385Nm of torque, which is fed to the front wheels via a single-speed automatic.

The boxy 2059kg SUV can spring from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds, and although that sounds fairly lethargic, initial off-the-line acceleration is very good and the instant torque delivery that’s a common trait with EVs is pleasing.

The EQB 350 4MATIC gets twin electric motors and is heavier by around 100kg as a result (2153kg), but its higher output – 215kW and 520Nm – sees it race from 0-100km/h in a claimed 6.2 seconds.

It took us a few tenths longer but there’s no denying the 350’s pace – it’s fast and hits you in the chops with plenty of g-force under full throttle in Sport mode.

Both the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 and EQB 350 4MATIC get a 66.5kWh lithium-ion battery which is slightly bigger than the pack in the Telsa Model Y RWD (60kWh lithium-iron phosphate), yet doesn’t offer anywhere near the same driving range.

Based on the WLTP standard, the 200-cell battery pack delivers the EQB 250 a range of 371km and the EQB 350 a 360km run between top-ups, compared to the entry-level Tesla Model Y’s 455km.

The official energy consumption data is 20.4kWh/100km for the EQB 250 and 21kWh/100km for the EQB 350, neither of which are particularly efficient. Again, the Tesla SUV does better at 14.6kWh/100km.

During the national media launch, our testing showed 22.3kWh/100km on the EQB 250 and 24.5kWh/100km with the EQB 350.

On the second day of testing on a circa-100km highway route, we saw 19.9kWh/100km on the twin-motor 350 model; not bad considering the biblical rain, with air-con and headlights on and a 110km/h cruising speed.

If you’re good at hypermiling, you could achieve 400km in one of these European imports.

A single ‘type 2’ CCS charge port is used, and according to Benz it’ll take 24 hours to recharge the battery using a regular 220V household power outlet. That drops to 6.5 hours using an 11kW AC wallbox or around half an hour using a 100kW DC fast charger.

Its DC charging limit is 100kW, considerably less than some rivals that top out at 350kW, like the Hyundai IONIQ 5. You get two cables with the EV, an eight-metre-long home cable and a 5m AC charging cable.

For a vehicle with a skeleton that evolved around a combustion engine, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB is a mighty fine mode of transport.

Those Mercedes engineers clearly know a thing or two about creating a luxurious ambience; despite the inclement conditions, the cabin was always quiet and well insulated against outside noise – definitely quieter than a first-gen Tesla Model 3.

The EQB a very quiet, composed and smooth vehicle in almost every dynamic regard, from the way it accelerates to the way the adaptive suspension glides seamlessly over blemishes in the road.

The dual-mode suspension is ultra-supple in Comfort mode, and while it firms up in Sport mode, the EQB never really feels dextrous or agile.

On sealed roads and even on gravel, and especially in heavy rain, it feels solid and secure on the road – the EQB 350 with its AWD system adding even more traction.

A full-throttle launch on dirt roads reveals impressive grip levels and clever torque-splitting and traction controls that carefully measure drive outputs at the front and rear axles.

It’s not the tallest SUV out there but the view of the road is better than a conventional car, and together with easy steering and a responsive throttle – plus little touches like the excellent sat-nav and crisp visuals on the digital driver’s display – it all makes for an effortless driving experience.

The EQB has three regenerative braking settings, along with a fourth ‘auto’ mode, to allow for one-pedal driving. However, it won’t quite come to a complete stop.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB is based on the same MFA2 platform as the GLB, which means this is not a clean-sheet EV that’s designed and engineered from the ground up for electric propulsion only.

And this hampers packaging. For example, legacy architecture means there’s no ‘frunk’ (front trunk) storage under the bonnet because the engine bay is full of electrical gubbins. The floor height in the cabin is slightly raised too, which is most notable in the rear seat, lifting thighs off the seat cushions.

Generally speaking, however, the cabin is well executed. Material quality is very good – except for the cheap and plasticky ancillary and gear shift stalks and jumpy windscreen wiper blades – and almost everything you touch has a quality feel to it, from the leather steering wheel to the elegant climate control switches.

Measuring 4684mm long, the EQB is actually 26mm longer than Mercedes-Benz’s best-selling vehicle locally and globally, the combustion-only GLC. There’s plenty of room for occupants in the first and second rows, the EQB’s boxy proportions delivering scads of headroom.

The third row of the EQB 250 is cramped for a lanky lad like yours truly, but we wouldn’t call it horrendously confined and little tackers will be right as rain. There’s even USB ports back there.

Boot space of 495 litres, expanding to a maximum 1710 litres, means the EQB is a proper family SUV, with enough room for 1.8m-long objects with all seats folded flat.

In a word, yes. If you can afford it. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB is expensive compared to conventional cars, but in the EV world it’s not a massive stretch.

And when you consider how serenely, smoothly and quietly it drives, you’re looking at one of the most refined EVs in the mid-size SUV segment.

While its cruising range leaves a little to be desired, the EQB a very pragmatic vehicle. It’s easy to drive and simple to park, yet has one of the most flexible interiors going round.

The new Mercedes-Benz EQB doesn’t raise the bar in its segment, but as the only seven-seat EV available in Australia at present – and one that’s handsomely equipped and impressively polished – it’s definitely worth a closer look.

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 at a glance:
Price: $87,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Front asynchronous electric motor
Output: 140kW/385Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 66.5kWh lithium-ion
Range: 371km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 20.4kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC at a glance:
Price: $106,700 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Front asynchronous motor, rear permanently excited synchronous motor
Output: 215kW/520Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 66.5kWh lithium-ion
Range: 360km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 21kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)