Mercedes has announced the Irish pricing and specs for its pure-electric, seven-seat EQB model which is set to arrive here shortly, providing another arrow in the firm's quiver of electric models.
The EQB joins Mercedes's EQC, EQA and EQV models in Ireland and will, later in 2022, be joined by the EQS and EQE, both, respectively, the electric equivalents of Mercedes S-Class and E-Class models. The EQB's fossil-fuel-powered equivalent is the GLB on which it is based.
Smooth and practical
Differentiating it from the GLB, however, is smoother styling for greater aerodynamic efficiency. As a conventional grille is redundant, it's replaced by a black panel with a big central star, front 'EQ' blue headlamp strips and a continuous fibre-optic strip running along the front and rear.
Inside, the EQB gets a sizeable widescreen display combining a digital dashboard with the central infotainment screen running the latest version of Mercedes's MBUX system as well as "Hey Mercedes" command control.
The second row of seats in the EQB is adjustable with the optional third row hidden beneath the floor of the boot. Mercedes says that up to four child seats can be fitted in the second and third rows and, with all the seats folded down, the maximum luggage capacity is 1,710 litres.
Models and prices
The company says that it expects the most popular version in Ireland to be the EQB 250, which, though using the same 66.5kWh battery pack as its dual-motor siblings, sends power to the front wheels alone and delivers a battery range of up to 419km according to WLTP testing. Prices for the EQB 250 start from €64,030.
Also available will be the EQB 300 and EQB 350. Both of these models use the same battery pack as the 250, but employ twin motors to deliver all-wheel drive. Power output for the EQB 300 is rated at 228hp and at 292hp for the EQB 350. Regardless of which model buyers opt for, fast DC charging of up to 100kW is available meaning that top-ups from 10 per cent to 80 per cent capacity can be achieved in around 30 minutes.
Pricing for the EQB 300 and EQB 350 is €68,505 and €71,520 respectively.