LIKES
- Just-right shape bridges boxy and aero
- Quiet, comfortable ride
- Available third-row seat
- Sliding second-row seat
- No sci-fi EV gimmickry
DISLIKES
- Premium price
- Lower range than most rivals
- Third row is tiny
- Infotainment screens’ learning curve
- Top active safety costs extra
BUYING TIP
- Go with the EQB 300 and keep it simple; it’s the best fit for the EQB’s tuning. With all EQBs qualifying for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, that makes the effective price for many households just $48,250.
In an increasingly crowded field of electric crossovers, the boxy 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB offers something refreshingly against-the-grain.
What kind of car is the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB? What does it compare to?
The Mercedes-Benz EQB is a fully electric compact crossover that blends carlike driving attributes with the boxier look of traditional SUVs.
Is the 2022 Mercedes EQB a good car?
With a boxy body that maximizes space; ride and handling that’s just right; and a quiet, luxurious, and roomy interior—with up to 7 seats—the EQB checks all the boxes except for head-turning. It earns a TCC Rating of 8.2 out of 10.
What’s new for the 2022 Mercedes EQB?
The EQB is a new fully electric entry that’s essentially a version of an existing gasoline model, the Mercedes GLB SUV.
EPA range ratings aren’t yet out for the EQB, but it’s expected to return well over 200 miles on a charge in all of its U.S.-bound versions, which include a 70.5-kwh battery pack, fitted under the passenger floor. DC fast-charging at up to 100 kw will provide a 10%-80% charge in just 31 minutes, according to Mercedes.
The automaker has done well in adapting the gasoline GLB’s body structure for the electric EQB. It flattened the floor, allowing the seating point to be just a fraction of an inch higher, while cargo capacity and even the third-row seat option are carried over. A unique, more aerodynamically efficient front and rear design as well as underbody aero give the EQB its own look and a lower 0.28 coefficient of drag, but the rest of the boxy body is intact—making it a pleasant standout versus other egg-shaped EVs.
How much does the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB cost?
Mercedes has confirmed that the 2022 EQB will start at $55,750 for the EQB 300 4Matic and $59,300 for the EQB 350 4Matic, including the $1,050 destination fee. That’s for Exclusive versions. The step-up Pinnacle trim adds Burmester surround sound, a panoramic roof, and a surround-view camera system, and costs $58,300 and $60,350, respectively.
Mercedes has only posted some of the EQB’s options pricing at the time of writing. But we’ll venture that if you add the $1,300 Driver Assistance Package with more active-safety features—a bit of a letdown they’re not included—plus the Technology Package, AMG Night Package, and other extras including multicontour massage seats, you’ll pass the $70,000 mark.
Where is the 2022 Mercedes EQB made?
In Hungary.
Styling
The 2022 Mercedes EQB gets the balance between boxy and aero just right.
Is the Mercedes-Benz EQB a good-looking car?
Yes! The EQB doesn’t look much different than the gasoline GLB, but in this case we think that’s an advantage. The shape and styling—think traditional meets contemporary—simply fits the all-electric mission so well. We give the GLB an 8 here, including a point for its interior styling and finishes, plus another two for its exterior styling that seems perfectly suited for the mission.
In front, a black panel grille with a continuous horizontal light strip distinguishes the EQB. The light strip is echoed in back, and the available 19-inch alloy wheels are offered in a bi-color design. Polished aluminum roof rails add some brightwork up top, while down below dark cladding essentially carries on a familiar look for this class of vehicle.
Just like the GLB, the EQB has a lot of matte-metallic brightwork in the cabin, with tubular aluminum accents for the dash and center console. Round air vents carry on more of the bright look, as well as steering-wheel trim. The dash verges on feeling too busy, but the rest of the interior has just the right level of cues from Mercedes’ larger SUVs, scaled down.
Performance
The EQB is quick and quiet, with some sharpness traded off for comfort.
We give the 2022 Mercedes EQB a 7 here, incorporating a bonus point each for its quiet, confident acceleration and sweet spot for ride and handling.
Is the Mercedes-Benz EQB 4WD?
All U.S. versions of the EQB have a dual-motor system providing all-wheel drive, badged 4Matic.
The EQB doesn’t offer the sort of eye-blurring acceleration you’ll find in some other electric vehicles, although its dashes to highway speeds are comparable to gasoline versions—with a far perkier feel at city speeds. Mercedes lists the EQB 300 at 8.0 seconds to 62 mph, while the EQB 350 can do it in 6.2 seconds. At lower speeds the difference between the two electric versions doesn’t feel so pronounced, but by highway speeds the 350 has noticeably more punch.
Ride quality is exactly what it needs to be. At about 4,800 lb—roughly a thousand more pounds than some gasoline versions of the GLB—the EQB rides with a heft and composure that belies the compact-car footprint. It has struts in front, plus a four-link rear axle that’s isolated from the body shell by rubber bushings. Mercedes also worked to isolate vibration from the motor systems, and it added additional sound insulation to keep out road noise. Steering offers relaxed straight-ahead tracking and nice weighting in corners, adding up to an overall feel that’s not especially nimble, but definitely confidence-inspiring.
The EQB gives drivers several choices for the driving mode (Eco, Sport, Comfort, and Individual), which can fine-tune the steering and accelerator behavior, and separate controls for the level of regenerative braking—in which the motor gets tasked as a generator, slowing the vehicle and storing away excess energy in the battery. Braking is blended when you step on the brake pedal—nicely so in most instances—but you have choices for what happens when you lift off the accelerator. Weak recuperation (D) is the default, while medium (D-) can be selected with a click of the left steering-wheel paddle. It’s not quite a one-pedal driving, but slows the car quickly on lift. D+ is essentially gliding/coasting, while D Auto relies on forward sensors and even speed limits to adjust regen.
Comfort & Quality
The Mercedes EQB has space for up to seven, and an airiness to the cabin you don’t find in most comparable EVs.
Yes, the 2022 EQB electrifies a form factor that’s also used for a gasoline vehicle. But it certainly doesn’t suffer for that. The EQB makes smart use of its interior space, has excellent trims and materials inside and feels, in many respects, like this EV is the GLB’s natural state. Its seating—front and rear—adds a couple points, then we award another for its abundant cargo space (or third-row space), plus another for impressive fit and finish and cabin ambience. Given the GLB’s third row, convoluted access to the wayback is the only thing keeping this from a perfect 10.
The EQB fits right in with other compact crossovers in overall size. Its overall length is about 184 inches, while height is a middle-of-the-road 66 inches. Fitting the battery pack underneath only added a fraction of an inch to the height of the seating, according to the company, thanks to some work to reengineer the floor of the vehicle and omit all that was needed by the gasoline versions.
A five-seat configuration is standard, but the EQB is one of the few models this small to be offered as a three-row vehicle. Mercedes says it’s good for those up to 5-foot-4, but it also provides the space for up to four child seats in rows two and three—so if you have a family, or carpool duty, with lots of young children, this is an option that can fit everyone but doesn’t mean driving a mammoth vehicle.
Whether the version has the third row or not, the second row slides fore and aft 5.5 inches—to potentially help with cargo loading—while the second row folds completely flat. The versions we’ve evaluated so far have had the two-row layout, so we’ll update this if and when we get into a three-row version.
Safety
There are no crash-test results yet, and some of the EQB’s leading-edge active safety features are reserved for an optional package.
How safe is the Mercedes EQB?
The Mercedes-Benz EQB is built around the same body structure as the gasoline GLB, which hasn’t been crash-tested by the IIHS but earns five-star overall results from the NHTSA in all-wheel-drive form.
That said, we can’t extend any of the GLB’s crash test results to the EQB for several reasons. The structure has been significantly adapted for this electric vehicle, with the lower body changed to make room for the smooth battery pack rather than things like the exhaust, driveshaft, and fuel tank. The battery also adds a lot of heft, with the EQB weighing in at about 1,000 lb more, and makes its weight distribution very different.
Features
The EQB is lean on the EV gimmicks and rich with a traditional luxury feel and feature set.
The 2022 Mercedes EQB comes well-equipped as a luxury vehicle, although compared to other rivals there’s not all that much here that’s EV-exclusive. The widescreen infotainment system and robust option list each add a point—landing at 7—but the standard feature set feels a bit thin for a luxury model priced in the mid-$50k range.
The EQB is offered in Exclusive and Pinnacle versions, and all come with dual-zone climate control, a power tailgate, power heated front seats, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. All versions of the EQB include the latest-generation MBUX infotainment system, with a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster alongside a 10.3-inch touchscreen display.
The system includes wireless device charging plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and the screens look fantastic, focusing around a colorful, high-contrast look over a dark background—although some of the default displays just pack too much information in at once. There’s a lot of redundancy baked into the system; engagement is via a touchpad on the center console, steering-wheel touchpad toggles, by simply reaching out and touching the screen, or via natural-language commands. The latter we’ve had mixed success with; so we’d recommend you just find your comfort zone with one of the other interface points—and there’s a bit of a learning curve.
Pinnacle versions step up to Burmester surround sound, plus a panoramic roof and a surround-view camera system, among other extras.
Options on the EQB include a front multicontour seats (massage and cooling), a winter package (heated windshield and heated washer system), a Technology Package (head-up display, augmented navigation, and traffic-sign recognition), an AMG Night Package (Nappa leather sport seats, sport pedals, sport steering wheel, AMG wheels and trim), and a Driver Assistance Package with active-safety upgrades plus adaptive cruise control.
Which Mercedes-Benz EQB should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded Mercedes EQB?
The top EQB 350 in Pinnacle trim costs $60,350, but with all the aforementioned options piled on, you’ll top $70,000.
Fuel Economy
The EQB is fully electric and has no tailpipe emissions.
Is the Mercedes EQB good on gas?
We’ve given the EQB the top score of 10 in this category, as it’s powered only by electricity and we’re confident most or all of the U.S. versions will return more than 200 EPA miles of range. As with any EV, however, be aware that the EQB is only as green as the grid you’re plugging into and the power plant upstream.
That said, there isn’t yet an official EPA rating for range or efficiency. Given European WLTP ratings, which don’t tend to correlate in lock-step with those from the EPA, we’d expect more than 220 miles of range for both versions and their 70.5-kwh battery packs. A heat pump is included in all versions of the EQB, which should help make its range more consistent year-round.
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