Mercedes-Benz launches the EQB at ₹74.50 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Bookings for the EV commenced in November for a token amount of ₹1.5 lakh. The all-electric counterpart to the GLB SUV, it is the third EV for India and positioned below the EQC.
The EQB shares the same architecture as the GLB and also retains the basic design silhouette as well. However, there are a few design elements on the EQB that make it stand out from the GLB. These include details such as a blanked-off front grille and a tweaked design for the headlights and tail-lights. The EQB sports 18-inch alloy wheels and is available in 5 colours including Rose Gold.
The EQB’s overall cabin layout is similar to the GLB and GLA, apart from the splash of gold paint on the turbine-like air vents. The seven-seat SUV gets features like the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and touchscreen system, a panoramic sunroof, and 64-colour ambient lighting.
For India, Mercedes-Benz is offering the EQB in only the “300” variant that makes 228hp and 390Nm. It gets an all-wheel drive layout, where power is sent to all four wheels via dual electric motors, one on each axle, allowing the SUV to accelerate from 0-100kph in a claimed 8 seconds until it reaches a top speed of 160kph.
Equipped with a 66.5kWh battery pack, the electric SUV offers a WLTP rated range of up to 423km. The brand will offer a 8-year warranty on the battery pack and claims that the EQB can be charged from 10 percent to 100 percent in 6 hours 25 minutes using a 11kW AC charger. The electric SUV can also be charged from 10% to 80% in a claimed 32 minutes using a 100kW DC fast charger.
As the only three-row electric SUV in the market, the EQB has no direct competitors. Despite being introduced via the CBU route, the EQB undercuts the EQC by ₹25 lakh. It costs ₹17.60 lakh more than the only other luxury electric SUV in India, the locally assembled Volvo XC40 Recharge.
