Mercedes EQB SUV - Range, charging and running costs

The Mercedes EQB is not cheap to buy, starting at more than £52,000 for the 300 4MATIC model. This places it significantly above the smaller EQA (£45,000) and the equivalent seven-seat GLB (£37,000).

Every EQB officially manages up to 257 miles on a charge, a figure that falls short of the Audi Q4 e-tron SUV, which can return up to 317 miles - although the Audi can only be ordered with five seats. For buyers who want an EQB with more range, a new single-motor model is expected to arrive next year with a range of around 300 miles.

Mercedes EQA range & charging

All versions of the EQB can officially cover up to 257 miles on a full charge. During our time with the car in cold winter weather, we saw an indicated range of around 200 to 220 miles from a full battery. That’s a pretty good figure that’s close to what the Kia e-Niro and Volkswagen ID.4 can muster, but we’re glad that Mercedes has confirmed plans to add a longer-range model next year. If you need to charge on the go, the EQA supports fast-charging at up to 100kW, at which speed you’ll be topped up to 80% battery capacity in around half an hour.

However, it will be cheap to run. VED (road tax) is free, and company-car drivers will pay a minimal amount of Benefit-in-Kind tax each month. A full charge from a home wallbox will cost only a few pounds. An 11kW wallbox recharges the car in less than six hours, with a more common 7kW one taking a bit longer.

Insurance

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The Association of British Insurers (ABI), which assesses the insurance grouping for all new cars, has not yet confirmed the insurance groups for the EQB. Due to its high price and more potent powertrains, we’d expect it to attract a higher grouping than the smaller EQA, which sits in groups 37-45.

Servicing

Mercedes offers service plans to cover annual maintenance costs via its ServiceCare plans, with a choice of 12 to 48 month contracts. The plan covers all scheduled servicing costs, including parts and labour, and can be paid for up front or spread over a monthly payment plan.

Warranty

Mercedes’ three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty will apply to the EQB, as will an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery. Its warranty is more generous than the 60,000-mile cap on the Volkswagen ID.4, but the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia e-Niro get five- and seven-year warranties respectively.