2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB debuts in China with AMG Line

Mercedes Benz has taken the covers off its new compact electric SUV - the EQB - at the Shanghai Auto Show. This is the second such compact electric offering from the German auto giant since the unveiling of the EQA earlier this year.

The new EQB is to the GLB what the GLA is to the EQA. It has the same wheelbase of the GLB which stands 2,830 mm. Standing 4,684 mm in length the new Mercedes EQB can accommodate up to three rows of seats for seven occupants.It will also offer a five-seater version.

As far as the design is concerned, the EQB appears slightly rounder compared to its ICE sibling. The grille is typical to the Mercedes EQ line-up which also has light strip that connects the LED headlights and DRLs on either side. At the rear, the exhausts have been removed and LED light strip has been added. The Mercedes EQB stands on 20-inch alloy wheels. The interior, however, remains similar to the GLB.

Mercedeshas so far kept many of the EQB's powertrain details under wraps, although the company provided some rough figures.The Mercedes EQB is expected to come with front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The battery capacity is likely to be around 66.5 kilowatt-hours.

At home or at public charging stations, the EQB can be charged with alternating current (AC) using its on-board charger with up to 11 kW. With direct current (DC) at fast charging stations, energy can be drawn with a maximum power of 100 kW, the charging time should then be from 10 to 80 percent a little more than 30 minutes.

According to Mercedes, theEQB 350 4Maticwould offer around 478 kilometres of range in the NEDC cycle and about 419 kms in the WLTP test regiment. Mercedes says a long-range version is also planned, but did not provide much details about it.The model is expected to be launched with anAMG Line trim offering 288 hpin China.

“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", said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Daimler Group.

The EQB's safety equipment includes extendable headrests, seat belts with belt tensioners and force limiters on all outer seats.A total of up to four child seats can be attached in rows two and three, plus one more on the front passenger seat.To enlarge the luggage compartment, the third row seats can be lowered flush with the loading floor.The large body of the instrument panel has a cutout in the driver and front passenger areas.There is a widescreen cockpit in front of the driver.

The EQB has intelligent driver assistance systems, and the “Active Lane Keeping Assist" and “Active Brake Assist" are standard equipment.The latter has the ability to prevent a collision or reduce its severity with autonomous braking.The system can also brake stationary vehicles and crossing pedestrians at typical city speeds.Extended functions of the driver assistance package include the turning function, the emergency lane function, the exit warning function for approaching cyclists or vehicles as well as the warning of people detected in the area of zebra crossings.

When launched, the new Mercedes EQB compact electric SUV will take on rivals like Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4.