Test – Mercedes EQB: 7 places at an electrifying rate

On the other hand, the latter will be well installed, they will not travel with the knees in the chin. It will simply be necessary to take care to advance the second row bench a bit – sliding on 14 cm – to best balance the leg space of each.

Mercedes EQB and the others – which are the electric 7 -seater ?

The offer of 7 -seater electric vehicles is growing. We go around !

Imagine you have a large family, maybe five people, so three children. You must sometimes take friends or grandparents, but your car fleet only has electric cars. Which can create a family problem.

Do not fear, however, because there is a solution. Although we talk about it little, there are zero emission cars which, as standard or optional, also have a third row of seats for seven people, in particular the Mercedes EQB (our full test to find here).

Practical and also integral

The new electric SUV of the star brand, directly derived from its thermal counterpart GLB, is indeed also available with seven seats, which are not even “fortune”. Yes, because thanks to the rather generous 497 liter trunk and the square shape of the body, the leg space and the head is average.

It is available with three different motorcycle groups: EQB 250 with a single engine and a front traction of 190 hp, the EQB 300 4Matic with two engines and an all -wheel drive of 228 hp, and the EQB 300 4Matic of 292 hp. And the third row of seats is standard !

Others

If, however, the Mercedes EQB is not for you, the market offers or will offer in a few months alternatives, quite different in terms of design, functionality and budget. The first of them (although it is more expensive) is the Tesla Model X, which has proven itself and which, despite its coupe lines SUV, Offers two comfortable seats, almost normal size, in the trunk, with integrated headrests and easily tilting seats in the floor.

It should soon be joined by the new BMW IX1, a zero emission version of the smallest of Bavarian SUVs which for the very first time (if this is confirmed as for thermal versions) should Offer a third row of seats, but there is still very little information on this subject.

Having then spoken of the German triad, the alternative of Audi certainly deserves to be mentioned, even if it is not currently on sale on our market: it is the Q6 etron dedicated to China and neighboring countries, based on the same platform as the Volkswagen ID.4. Finally, a 7 -seater version of the Tesla Model should also arrive in Europe in the future, but there too there is no information some.

Without forgetting the future Skoda Vision 7S, presented in the form of a concept at the end of August and which will arrive on the roads by 2026.

Vans and minivans

If we stick to the current market, there are a number of vans as electric alternatives to 7 seats which can be purchased today in place of the Mercedes EQB. First of all, not to leave Stuttgart, there is the Mercedes EQV, a 100 % electric version of the luxurious class V.

By staying across the Rhine, but by moving to Wolfsburg, we find the brand new Volkswagen ID.Buzz, which will also be available from 2023 with seven seats.

In the case of vans, there is also an entirely Italian protagonist, the new Fiat e-ulyss, The first zero child program of the Stellantis group, who is no longer very young, alongside the French Peugeot e-Traveller and Citroën e-spacetourer, and the German Opel Zafira e-Life, all close to their Japanese cousin Toyota Proace Electric back.

Still in France, finally, we find the Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroën e-Berlingo, more compact, both available with 7 places in a long wheelbase version and, again, close to their Japanese cousin Toyota Proace City Electric Verso, based on The same platform, and the Opel Comboe Life.

Chinese models arrive

The offer does not stop there since many new seven -seater electric SUVs will soon arrive from China, like the new byd Tang, which develops 517 hp, has a battery of 86.4 kWh and displays a 400 km autonomy. With him too the nio es8 or the Hongqi e-hs9.

Test – Mercedes EQB: 7 places at an electrifying rate !

It may seem surprising but for the time being, the offer is unique in France. The Mercedes EQB is today the only Electric SUV seven seats on the market. There is a reason for this, because in this segment it necessarily requires making certain compromises.

The price is not delusional. From 52.700 euros for the EQB 250 . Certainly a little harder to digest in version 350: 64.150 euros . In order not to explode the costs of his youngest, Mercedes was content to decline the thermal model in electric version. In other words, unlike other models to the star, the EQB does not benefit from a dedicated architecture. It is simply the electric version of the GLB launched two years ago on the market.

The Mercedes EQ range incorporates two types of electric models. Those fully developed at the base to be zero emission, such as EQE and EQS. And those available from thermal models, such as EQA, EQB and EQC.

Good to know: anticipate purchase and resale.

It is possible to know the resale or recovery value of your vehicle thanks to the Turbo rating of your Mercedes EQB, the alternative to the Argus coast.

Long, heavy, spacious

It must be said that the GLB represents a good work base. It is huge for its category. Of its 4.69 m (or + 4cm) the EQB flirts as to the upper segment with the upper segment. It even measures 2 cm more than GLC (the EQC being stretched at 4.76 m).

Indeed, the front and rear profiles are completely revised to accommodate optics and stylistic codes specific to EQ models. He gains in elegance what he loses from his adventurous spirit. But unlike our expectations, this specific body kit does not improve aerodynamics for a penny.

EQB shares its furniture with class A, GLA, EQA and GLB … good savings of ladders.

Only one level of finish

On board in any case, we are in known ground. The EQB recovers the furniture inaugurated in 2018 on class A to its account . It is simply distinguished by a backlit headband facing the passenger seat. But it does not have to be ashamed, because the atmosphere remains modern and the multimedia system does not have much to envy the references. He is even part of it.

The finishes are of good level for the segment, as long as you are not too looking at the low parts. It must also be said that the EQB 350 is only offered in high -end AMG LINE finish. Unlike the EQB 250 also available in gradual line.

But what interests us mainly concerns the capacity. First interesting observation: the battery integrated into the floor does not penalize anywhere habitability. With 2.83 m of wheelbases and a very vertical tailgate, the EQB without difficulty the two third row seats.

Watch out for the head in the rear seats.

The ideal body to accommodate 7 places

According to the Mercedes press kit “These third row seats are to be reserved for people of 1.65m maximum”. Indeed, otherwise it may get stuck in the roof guard. But it is above all close access which reveals that they will especially intend for children.

On the other hand, the latter will be well installed, they will not travel with the knees in the chin. It will simply be necessary to take care to advance the second row bench a bit – sliding on 14 cm – to best balance the leg space of each.

A well -thought -out modularity comes to perfect the painting. Each folder is tilting and fractionable. The whole folds into the floor to create a large surface perfectly flat. Obviously, the trunk volume will depend on the number of seats deployed. But that we are not mistaken, the EQB is indeed a real 7 -seater SUV (chest volume: 130 – 465 – 1.620 liters).

MERCEDES EQB, 7 places and 0 program – Turbo test of 05/01/2022

The load is limited to 100 kW to preserve the battery life.

Small battery, small autonomy

As we told you, the EQB is offered in two engines: EQB 250 with an engine at the front of 190 hp and the EQB 4Matic 350 with two electric motors developing a combined power of 292 hp. In both cases, it will be necessary to count on a battery of only 66.5 kWh . Not huge, but suddenly not excessively heavy either (469 kg) and fortunately because the weight of our test model already reaches 2.170 kg !

Thus, the performance of the EQB 350 remain of good level (0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds), but the advertised autonomy is not really dreaming: 423 km in mixed WLTP cycle, which corresponds in practice About 350 km real provided for a good ecoconduite (consumption observed: 17 kWh/100 km in town and 22 kWh on the highway). It is not much, especially since the load limited to 100 kW will require breaks twice as long as with a Tesla Model Y (not offered in 7 places in France). Not dramatic either, since it already allows you to recover 150 km in 15 minutes and recharge from 10 to 80 % in 32 minutes.

The EQB 250 offers 455 km of autonomy in mixed WLTP cycle. 32 km more than the 350 version.

Invitation to gentle driving

To manage autonomy at best, Mercedes therefore released the big means. Navigation is constantly planning and adapts the journey to consume as little as possible. The system will even recommend the speed to adopt and take into account the relief that we will meet on the road. Semi-autonomous driving is also benefiting, so it is now anticipatory .

But the most interesting concerns the four modes of energy recovery at braking. The management of the “engine brake” is managed intuitively via the paddles behind the wheel. We thus find a pipe close to that of a thermal model.

Despite everything, it is your pace that will determine the energy consumption. In this case, the very flexible suspension invites you to a gentle driving. Once is not customary, Mercedes has also made the choice to equip all the test models with reasonable 18 -inch rims, allowing to keep relatively thick side tires, guarantors of an excellent level of comfort. The best way to invite good ecoconduite !