2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Were it not for the star, the Mercedes-Benz EQB could be mistaken as a Volkswagen Tiguan or any number of cheaper, workaday vehicles. It looks and feels uninspiring and low-end. Partially, that’s because a base Mercedes doesn’t compute in America. In Europe, Mercedes is as much a working man’s brand as it is an autobahn juggernaut. Many Europeans shop for small, stripped-down cars from premium automakers that are relatively affordable next to Renaults and Fords. Here, Mercedes sells itself strictly on luxury. The regular GLB-Class is supposed to feel like a baby G-Class. With the EQB’s distinct front end, we’re seeing the company’s Metris commercial van. The fascia has a flush, one-piece arrangement for the solid black grille and widened headlights that together give off the profile of a dinner bowl. The new taillights that connect across the tailgate are a nice touch, as are the unique wheels. But instead of a luxury SUV, the EQB’s body evokes a New York taxi or a florist delivery van.

The interior reinforces the message of budgeting and skimpiness. The two 10.25-inch screens and the ambient lighting behind the aircraft-engine-style air vents are the best touches, as they look like what you’ll find in other Mercedes models. That’s where the effort starts and stops. Plastic materials below the driver’s waistline, such as the map pockets and center console, are thin and brittle. The door panels are flat and featureless. There’s no sliding cover on the console to hide the cupholders or phone tray. The seats are firm but with little lateral support.

We tested the Premium, the lowest of three trims, but the upgrades (leather seats and an illuminated pattern on the passenger dash) cannot hide the lackluster finishes and tawdry layout of the EQB’s cabin. If the ambience is luxury U-Haul rental, then the EQB succeeds. It’s all the worse when you compare our EQB, which cost $60,000 with almost no options, next to other Mercedes models at the same price. Take a GLC 300, C300, or even an E350 at this price. Their interiors are all built with superior attention to detail and fine craftsmanship. We hold Mercedes-Benz to high standards because it set those expectations for us. We can’t give the EQB a pass when it looks and feels down-market.

Unlike the EQE, EQS, and EQS SUV, there is no AMG version of the EQB, and that’s a shame. The EQB drives more like the outgoing Nissan Leaf than the latest crop of luxury and semi-luxury EVs. Its range specs (227 miles on the EQB 350; 243 miles on the EQB 300) are level with the Genesis GV60, Volvo C40 Recharge, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5. But its acceleration lags behind all of these EVs when priced accordingly. Performance and range are further behind the Tesla Model Y (300+ miles), which leads all compact EV crossovers.

The EQB’s charging speed is slow by today’s standards, which admittedly have improved rapidly in response to more public fast charging stations and an industry shift to 800-volt batteries, which the EQB does not have. With a 100-kW maximum charging rate, the EQB cannot excite its anodes nearly as quickly as the Volvo (150 kW), the Hyundai group EVs (240 kW), or Tesla (250 kW). Even so, the EQB delivered on its promised half-hour charge from 10 to 80 percent (we recorded seven to 80 percent in 34 minutes; and to 100 percent in 57 minutes). In a separate charge, we saw 16 to 100 percent in 52 minutes and tested both EVGo and Electrify America chargers rated above the EQB’s 100-kW input.

Even with temperatures in the 40s, the EQB only indicated a maximum driving range of 212 miles. But during mostly highway cruising at 70 mph, our actual range was closer to 175 miles. With a 70.5-kWh battery, that’s to be expected. But it’s not acceptable for a day trip—especially when all the non-Tesla fast-chargers on the ride back are either packed with other EVs or broken. Consumption estimates in MPGe are currently unavailable.

The EQB’s standard dual electric motors output 225 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque in the 300 trim and 288 hp and 384 lb-ft in 350 trim. Our EQB 350 felt sprightly off the line up until 30 mph, at which point the zip petered out. No doubt it’s quicker than its gasoline version, the GLB 250 4Matic, and other entry-level luxury crossovers with gas powertrains. And perhaps this is a realization that not every EV needs to be launching like the space shuttle at every stop light. But nearly every other EV in this class can do that—and shouldn’t a Mercedes?

Handling is adequate, though when pushed it becomes obvious the EQB weighs too much. All EVs weigh too much due to the excessive size of their batteries. Compared to a GLB 250 4Matic, the EQB packs another 1,000 pounds—4,700 in total. That’s as much as an S-Class. It leans noticeably in quicker turns, and when applying throttle during corner exits, the power cuts out early to prevent the wheels from spinning. That’s a safety measure, yet other EVs are better at routing their power to individual wheels without restricting the fun. At speed, the EQB emits a high level of road and wind noise compared to other EVs. Perhaps it’s the square body, but more insulation would be welcome.

Braking is the EQB’s strong point. The paddle shifters control four regenerative brake levels (auto, normal, strong, or none), and the pedal feels natural.

Space and packaging stand out in the EQB. For such a small car, there’s a ton of headroom in every seating position and plenty of legroom. The rear seat has a 40/20/40 split for easy folding and the recline angle is generous. Sightlines are excellent. The rear window is large and upright, while pillars are minimally intrusive for parking and changing lanes. Seat height is perfect for anyone with sensitive knees and the door openings are tall and wide. That’s the benefit of designing an SUV that looks like a van. It's truly practical. Like the GLB, the EQB has an optional third-row jump seat, but we would not recommend it for anyone larger than a seven-year-old. Cargo space is good for an SUV in the subcompact class, with 22 cubic feet behind the second row (five less than the GLB, due to the battery) and 62 cubic feet when folded.

We very much like how the EQB operates like a car instead of a computer. A row of physical climate switches, steering-wheel controls, shortcut buttons for the infotainment on the console, the choice of using a touchscreen or a touchpad—these are all good things. It takes practice to master the thumbpads on the steering wheel (the left controls three different gauges in the instrument panel; the right controls the touchscreen menus). But once you do, it becomes second-nature. Seat controls on the door panels, normal moonroof switches that aren’t touch-sensitive, and air vents that don’t require an IT certification all make the EQB easy to drive.

Unlike other electric vehicles, the center console is sealed so there isn’t extra storage below the driver’s knees. We’re fine with that, as the wide shelves on those other EVs have no way to secure items.

If you want technology, the EQB delivers—for a fee. Our car didn’t come with a power steering column, wireless charging, garage door opener, or proximity key sensors on the door handles. That’s basic equipment you have to order on upper trims. We also didn’t have lane-keeping assist or any of the semi-automated driving features that work very well on other Mercedes models. For another $5,000, you can have everything our car was missing, plus four-zone climate, cooled and massaging front seats, a heated steering wheel, head-up display, 360-degree cameras, a Burmester stereo, and augmented reality for the navigation that overlays street signs and directional arrows on a live video of the road. Our test car’s no-name stereo was adequate, but not having SiriusXM was a bummer. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto require a wired connection.

What’s good is that ambient lighting and two 10.25-inch screens come standard, which brighten the interior to a big degree. The screens are sharp, maps can be viewed full-screen on the instrument panel, and there are so many color themes for the lighting. It feels like a light show at a planetarium. If you adjust the temperature, the air vents glow red or blue for a couple seconds. When plugged in and parked, the lighting glows green to indicate charging. No other automaker does lighting or customizable screens like Mercedes. The voice assistant also works well for directions and adjusting certain functions. A panoramic moonroof is standard.

The EQB has not been crash-tested by any U.S. organization or agency. Due to the diligence of Mercedes in structural and passenger safety, we expect identical ratings to the 2022 GLB, which received five stars overall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but four stars for the front passenger in a frontal crash. Seven air bags come standard, including a driver’s knee airbag, while rear side thorax airbags are optional.

Forward emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, exit assist (to prevent opening the door into an oncoming vehicle), and automatic high beams come standard. Every other safety feature is optional regardless of trim, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, front cross-traffic braking, automatic lane changing, and more semi-automated features.

The 2022 EQB starts at $54,500 for the EQB300 and $58,050 for the EQB350. It’s priced competitively within the compact EV SUV segment, which includes the Tesla Model Y, Volvo C40 Recharge, Genesis GV60, Audi Q4 e-tron, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5. That’s unusual for a Mercedes, which tends to outprice every car in its class. Our car, an EQB 350 Premium, was $59,600 with heated front seats and destination.

In 2023, a less-expensive EQB trim will debut with a bit more range and a smaller price tag. The trade off is that the EQB 250 will bring front-wheel drive (FWD) instead of all-wheel drive (AWD), as the EQB 300 4Matic and EQB 350 4Matic do.

Still, we can’t excuse the EQB’s average range, below-average charging speed, mediocre driving performance, its discount styling, or its lower-quality interior. Competitors all do it better. Plus, due to the changes in federal law, the foreign-made GLB is ineligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Mercedes is new to electric cars and it shows. Hopefully, it’ll pick up the pace and surprise us in the next generation.