2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB Review

Building a new electric vehicle from the ground up is no easy task. Sometimes, it makes sense to adapt an existing model to run on electricity to get it before shoppers sooner. That's the route Mercedes takes with the new 2022 EQB, which the automaker bases on the boxy little GLB SUV.

Aside from minor styling changes, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB looks just like the GLB inside and out. Underneath the bodywork, the EQB tells a different story. Mercedes yanks out the traditional internal combustion engine drivetrain and replaces it with front and rear electric motors and a lithium-ion battery boasting 66.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of usable power. Though the two motors create a 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, Mercedes says the rear permanently excited synchronous motor does most of the work. When added traction is necessary, the front asynchronous motor activates to assist.

Mercedes offers the new electric SUV in EQB 300 4Matic and EQB 350 4Matic forms. As you might expect, the EQB 300 offers more driving range, while the EQB 350 supplies added power and better performance. Pleasingly, the GLB's transformation from gas power to EV does not affect interior space. The EQB offers standard five-passenger and available seven-passenger seating, though Mercedes is careful to explain the third-row seating is best only for shorter people and occasional use. The EQB has 22 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second-row bench seat and offers a maximum of 62 cubic feet with the second row folded down.

For now, the EQB serves as the entry-level Mercedes EV. Rivals that take a similar engineering approach include the Volvo XC40 Recharge and, if you stretch your imagination, the BMW i4. The EQB also squares off against the likes of the Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60 and, to a lesser degree, Polestar 2. Check out how it stacks up by reading our test team's Expert Rating below.