Updated Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB: increased range and fresher design

Mercedes-Benz's junior electric crossovers are selling poorly and the manufacturer decided to restyle them just two years after their debut.

The compact Mercedes-Benz EQA celebrated its premiere in January 2021, its larger relative EQB in April of the same year. Both models are produced in Europe and in China, but such a production scale has not yet been backed up by the commercial success of EQA and EQB, with current circulations, one Chinese site would be enough. Sales of Mercedes-Benz EQA in January-July this year in China, according to CAAM (China Association of Automobile Manufacturers), amounted to 2181 units, Mercedes-Benz EQB — 3672 units, these are very modest figures by the standards of the Chinese market. In open statistics for Europe, EQA and EQB do not appear on the bestseller lists; the company itself does not disclose data on their sales in this region. Only EQB is represented in the USA, only 3404 units were sold in the first half of the year

Mercedes-Benz EQA 1/5 Mercedes-Benz EQA 4 /5 Mercedes-Benz EQA 5/5

The reason for the low interest of buyers in the EQA and EQB is the high price combined with rather mediocre technical characteristics, which are explained by the fact that both electric crossovers are not designed from scratch, but are conversions of their «hydrocarbon» relatives — the Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLB, respectively, such conversions always involve many design compromises.

During the restyling of the EQA and EQB, Mercedes-Benz tried to make them more long-range with little bloodshed: point optimization of body aerodynamics, tires with low rolling resistance and new power plant control algorithms, combined with an energy-saving heat pump, made it possible to increase the range by a couple of tens of kilometers on one charging for all modifications, while the range of power plants has not changed.

Mercedes-Benz EQA

The most long-range in the range is the single-engine front-wheel drive EQA 250+ (190 hp, 385 Nm) with a 70.5 kWh battery, its maximum range has increased from 531 to 560 km in the WLTP cycle. The rest of the versions are equipped with a more modest 66.5 kWh battery, the base EQA 250 crossover has increased its power reserve from 496 to 528 km, the twin-engine EQA 300 4Matic (228 hp, 390 Nm) and EQA 350 4Matic (292 l .s., 520 Nm) — from 438 to 459 km.

For the Mercedes-Benz EQB, the base version is now the EQB 250+, its range has increased from 507 to 536 km, for the twin-engine EQB 300 4Matic and EQB 350 4Matic, the range has increased from 423 km to 448 km.

Mercedes-Benz EQB 1/5 Mercedes-Benz EQB 2/5 Mercedes-Benz EQB 3/5 Mercedes-Benz EQB 4/5 Mercedes-Benz EQB 5/5

External updates are a new design of a massive blind panel between the headlights with a dotted ornament (each dot is a small three-pointed star) and a luminous top bar, a new taillight design and the aforementioned but subtle aerodynamic improvements — such as slightly reshaped rear wheel arches. The Mercedes-Benz EQB is now available with a trailer hitch for towing a trailer weighing up to 1,700 kg.

Mercedes-Benz EQB 1/3 Mercedes-Benz EQB 2/3 Mercedes-Benz EQB 3/3

In the cabin, the MBUX multimedia system has been updated with the standard 10, A 25-inch screen and dashboard graphics, improved trim materials, more refined atmospheric lighting, the EQA has a new three-spoke steering wheel with touch-sensitive keys on the spokes (a very dubious improvement), a high-end Burmester audio system with a bunch of “whistles” is now available for both crossovers, including several options for voice acting of the power plant.

Updated Mercedes-Benz EQA for sale and EQB will appear next fall, prices have not yet been announced. Pre-styling EQA costs in Germany from 50,777 euros, EQB — from 52,550 euros.