Mercedes-Benz has revealed a new electric SUV called the EQB at Auto Shanghai 2021. It’s the first mass-market electric SUV the company will sell in the US after it canceled plans to bring its first mass-market EV, the EQC, stateside in February. It will be the second mass-market electric Mercedes-Benz in the US after the EQS sedan goes on sale later this year.
The EQB is a slightly taller electric SUV than the EQC, and it has space for seven people. It won’t dazzle in the range department, though, as Mercedes-Benz says it expects the EQB to squeeze 419 kilometers out of the 66.5kWh battery pack when fully charged, or about 260 miles. That figure is based on Europe’s WLTP testing standard, too, which typically produces rosier estimates. The EPA-rated range will likely be less. Mercedes-Benz says a longer-range version is in the works but didn’t offer any more details.
Before it comes to the US, the EQB will see debuts in China (hence the reveal at Auto Shanghai) and Europe by the end of 2021, with localized production. The eventual US model will be imported from Europe. Mercedes-Benz has also previously announced a smaller electric SUV called the EQA, but it’s Europe-only for the moment.
The EQB will be available in both all-wheel and front-wheel drive configurations, with some offering more than 200kW of power (about 270 horsepower) for a modest amount of zip. It can charge at a rate of up to 100kW, though that could change upon the introduction into the US. And it’s of course outfitted with Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX infotainment system, which operates on a pair of large screens that sit behind the steering wheel and on the center of the dashboard.
Mercedes-Benz didn’t talk pricing on Monday, though it’s safe to assume the EQB will cost less than the expected six-figure price tag that the EQS will go for, considering that this SUV lacks a lot of the electric sedan’s bells and whistles. For what it’s worth, the EQC was supposed to start at just under $70,000 before the company canceled its entry into the US market.
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