Mercedes has taken the wraps off yet another new EQ-badged electric car, the new Mercedes-EQ EQB: based upon the GLB, it's one of the few electric vehicles in the world with seven-seater capability.
Room in the third row
Mercedes says the third row of seats in the EQB can be used by people up to 5ft 4in tall, while they will also accommodate child seats - presumably with ISOFIX points in both locations. Yet, on the outside, dimensionally speaking the EQB has only marginal differences to the GLB on which it is based, so it measures 4,684mm long, 1,834mm wide and 1,667mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,829mm. In seven-seat guise, its maximum boot capacity is 1,620 litres, which is only 60 litres down on the regular GLB, while the second row of seats in the cabin have adjustable-inclination backrests and the ability to slide forwards or backwards by up to 140mm - so you can truly maximise the EQB's interior potential.
Following on from the launches of the EQA and the EQS, the EQB will be the third all-electric vehicle put forward by Mercedes in 2021. It will kick off as an EQB 350 4Matic, capable of 419km on a single charge and using electric power at a WLTP-ratified rate of 19.2kWh/100km.
The EQB 350 will deliver 215kW (292hp), but Mercedes is planning several models of its seven-seat electric SUV, with both front- and all-wheel drive, various power output ratings and battery packs with usable capacities starting from 66.5kWh. Mercedes-EQ also says it has a 'particularly long-range version' in the pipeline, which sounds intriguing.
Smoothed-off appearance
On the outside, the EQB has the typical EQ black-panel front grille with a large central star logo, while there are full-width light strips front and rear of the vehicle, as well as aero-optimised alloy wheel designs and a blue tinge to the LED headlights. As per the EQA and EQC, the EQB's rear number plate is dropped into the bumper, to give a smoother look to the tailgate, and the whole car has a drag coefficient of 0.28.
Meanwhile, inside, the Widescreen Cockpit interface with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience is augmented with 'Navigation with Electric Intelligence', which can calculate the fastest route to the chosen destination, including any necessary charging stops if the journey is longer than the car can travel on its current (pardon the pun) electrical resources.
Gorden Wagener, chief design officer of Daimler Group, said: "With the all new EQB, we have created an iconic electric SUV that takes the heritage of our boxy off-road vehicles and transforms this into the future. We combine the significant boxy silhouette with futuristic elements such as the black-panel front to create the extraordinary look of the vehicle."