2024 Mercedes-Benz EQB

Boot space in the seven-seat model is a claimed 110L with the rearmost seats in place (130L loaded to the roof), 670L to the roof with the second row in place, and 1620L to the roof with both rows folded flat.

The five-seater has 675L of space to the roof with the rear seats in place, expanding to 1710L with them folded flat.

Mercedes-Benz says the loading lip is 50mm higher than in the EQA. That should make it easier to load heavy items and slide them straight in.

The boot itself is broad and flat, and the upright tailgate means you’ll actually be able to load in boxy items in a way you can’t in more style-oriented alternatives.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB has a five-star rating from ANCAP with a 2019 date stamp, though this applies only to the EQB 250. The EQB 350 is unrated.

It received an adult occupant protection score of 95 per cent, a child occupant protection score of 91 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection score of 78 per cent, and a safety assist score of 74 per cent.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• Active Steering Assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Blind-spot assist
• Surround-view camera
• Adaptive cruise control with active speed limiter
• Safe exit warning
• Traffic sign recognition
• Nine airbags

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 has 371km of electric range on the stricter WLTP test cycle, while the EQB 350 has 360km of range.

Energy consumption is 16.7kWh/100km in the EQB 250, and 18.8kWh/100km in the EQB 350.

The EQB can be charged at up to 11kW using an AC charger and up to 100kW using a DC charger.

Both models come with a Type 2 CCS charging socket and charging cables.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB has a recommended service interval of 12 months or 25,000 km, whichever comes first.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 250 features a front-mounted electric motor producing 140kW of power and 385Nm of torque, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.2 seconds.

The EQB 350 4MATIC features an electric motor at both the front and rear, with total outputs of 215kW and 520Nm. It’s all-wheel drive, and has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.2 seconds.

The EQB features a 66.5kWh lithium-ion battery, which weighs 469kg.

You can find more details on all the options and inclusions across the Mercedes-Benz EQB variants on the official website, and within the official Mercedes-Benz EQB specifications page.

Polar White and Night Black are the standard exterior colours, with the following optional:

• Denim Blue metallic
• Rosé Gold metallic
• Digital White metallic
• Iridium Silver metallic
• Mountain Grey metallic
• Cosmos Black metallic
• Manufaktur Mountain Grey Magno

The EQB 250 and EQB 350 comes standard with black interiors, though a Macchiato Beige/black interior is optional on the EQB 250, while Edition 1 models come with a Neva Grey and Cyber Cut blue interior.

Spiral-look interior trim elements are standard, with open-pore wood tri moptional

The Mercedes-Benz EQB is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 25,000km, whichever comes first.

Tight supply means every EQB to hit Australia for the foreseeable future is likely to be snapped up, but even without our market’s slightly skewed EV market there’s a niche for it here.

Although it doesn’t have the same surefooted, punchy feel as the more expensive EQB 350 4MATIC, the entry-level EQB 250 shapes as the smart pick for families looking for a spacious, premium electric SUV.

The seven-seat option is a proper point of difference at the moment, and adds a degree of flexibility not even larger cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can match – don’t be fooled by the compact exterior dimensions, the EQB is a genuinely usable 5+2 SUV.

As for the 350? It’s priced very close to the bigger BMW iX3 if it’s a spacious five-seat EV you want, while the Genesis GV60 is a more dynamic option if it’s performance you’re after.

It’s very nice, but it feels a bit lost in a way the more practical 250 doesn’t.