Mercedes EQB 2022 in-depth review – Is Merc's 7-seater the perfect family EV? / Electrifying

If you’re looking for an electric car that can carry more than five people then you won’t need us to tell you that they are pretty thin on the ground. In fact, unless you’re prepared to shell out £85k+ for Tesla Model or are prepared to carry your family round in a van like the Citroen e-SpaceTourer or Vauxhall Vivaro-e, then you’re out of luck.

But there’s (some) good news on the horizon. Tesla has promised that a seven-seater Model Y is in the pipeline for UK customers and Mercedes has finally pulled the wraps off its EQB - a funky seven-seater SUV that (unlike the Tesla) is confirmed for launch early next year.

Tom Ford got behind the wheel for a early taster to see if it's the one to go for if you're in the market for a seven-seat EV.

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[jonathantaylor]

Good, honest review as always from you, Wookie.
However, whilst, yes it's fair that you say that the EQB doesn't exactly move the game on in terms of its range or charging speed, in my 2 year EV experience, I think an EV (at least for the UK) has basically to hit 2 targets.
First, it needs to be able to manage about 3 hours' motorway driving (before "bladder-anxiety" kicks in) i.e. around a 200 mile "snow-or-sunshine" range... *tick*
Second, that it can recharge back up in the time it takes to have a comfort break, grab a bite to eat and a coffee i.e. about 30 mins or so... *tick*
So, true, whilst it's not a game-changer, I reckon this EQB gets the basics about right. 👍

[Morfarhagen]

Ordered one a few days ago! Fell in love when I tried it. 7 seats, of course!

[lewisjohnston]

Super presentation, is so much easier, for us less informed, to understand everything when you break it down into the most important areas. Very professional.

[johnminshall]

Nice enough, but more of a 5+2 than an out-and-out 7-seater… and maybe slightly under ranged, for a £50k car! I AM looking at a new people carrier in the near future, but this EQB probably won’t quite be it.

But no doubt Mercedes will sell them as there’s a desperate shortage of quality 7-seaters on the EV market.

[simonnielsen]

Did EQC depreciate heavily? No. So why would an EQB?

[harkmannah]

Normally I like what Tom says, but the central ‘drive shaft’ prevents things from rolling behind the pedals from elsewhere in the car and gives the driver a more cocooned space. Also it’s not a ground up EV so not practical to change this.

[HygienistDentist]

Why can't you get a model x in the UK?

[grownupgaming]

4:50 I was gonna buy an EQB till i saw this. The second row is basically a toddler's seat. Notice how the lower half of your thighs are sticking up and out from the seat. Because both the seat height and depth are painfully insufficient. On long rides this will leave you feeling very uncomfortable!

[RedBatteryHead]

They could even made more space by not using that ICE body style.
Not a fan of the styling. But it is a good EV.
The Y 7 seater had pretty good access.

[TheElectricMan]

mercedes is slowing developing the most luxurious electric vehicle

[examinerian]

So if it's best in Eco or Comfort, the best model seems to be the lowest spec 2WD... Don't get the AMG version because 95% of the time its not worth spoiling the car by taking it out of its comfort zone. Is that right? 🤔

[WEZ]

Well it also scores well against the ix3 on price as the eqb is £55k for the top spec and the ix3 STARTSat £60k, even though bmw have saved an absolute fortune having it manufactured in China. You guys have got to do a review of the ix3 and ask the question of why the price is so high as the only German parts are the motors and iDrive, a bit cheeky and not very wise considering the amount of Chinese EVs that will also come to the UK in 2022

[dannydriscoll]

Really appreciate this vid, major ev convert here but as a father of four I need a seven seater that doesn’t look like prisoner transport 😉. Was really disappointed with the enyaq not offering a third row considering how good the Kodiaq is. Watching the vid however it seems like a seven seat model Y might be worth waiting for

[sjaakafhaak]

Backseats are for kids. And it has no competition in that regard yet. The hyundai and kia 7 seaters are 30k more expensive and the volkswagen id buzz the same. I have 2 kids and one on the way. My kona will make place for this. Also config the volvo ex30 a 50cm smaller car and its 3k less expensive. So the mercedes is a “bargain”

[abasimustafa]

It's not that we dont want a mercedes. But the problem is that they don't have a more lower monthly payment finance available. Therefore mercedes looses at least another 20% of the sales to the rest of the cheaper car manufacturers due to lower monthly payment. Nobody is asking for a cheaper merc but lower monthly payments. If you can somehow convince them on this. I'll buy this car EQB right now

[forgotten_world]

The charging cables location under the trunk is, well, hideous. One will have to unload all the luggage to access the cables, because the engineers were too lazy to make a frunk. What a shame, Mercedes.

[youxkio]

The difference between a Tesla Y and an EQB? Well, the price is about the same. The EQB has some luxurious interactive tools. The EQB has less space in the accommodation area. And, most probably, the EQB is way less effective in managing its power than a Tesla Model Y. Y? (pun intended) because when you look all that pipping and siphoning in the motor bay (just like the Mach E) then you can tell where most of the efficacy is lost.

[mikadavies]

An EV6 and the Ioniq 5 can go up to & beyond £50, 000 On that basis I would prefer the EQB. Only downside is range and charging speed.

[gentlestorm]

Disappointing to see the German brands still struggle with EVs. They have a lot of work ahead of them.

[rufdymond]

This car makes no sense to me..as a conversion of an ICE car it is always going to be a compromise. There are now so many other excellent pure (designed from the ground up) EV’s at this price point or cheaper I don’t know why anyone would buy this. Unless it’s absolutely essential that you need 7 seats, but even then, it’s a lot of money to pay just for 2 extra seats in what is a compromised vehicle.