Driving the Mercedes-Benz EQB

I haven’t driven a lot of all-electric vehicles, but most of those I’ve tried were surprising in the very best sense. They were equipped with groundbreaking but uncomplicated technology, performed as well as if not better that traditional ICE engines, and did not lose much or any of the things that make the act of driving easy, hassle-free, and fun. 

All of those things were present when I spent one weekend with Mercedes-Benz’s EQB. The German marque’s seven-seater toes the line between luxury crossover SUV and practical people-carrier and comes out on top with some of the best features of both. And the fact that’s it’s fully electric makes it all the more appealing for those looking to switch to a more sustainable mode of everyday transport. 

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Mercedes-Benz EQB drive

The test unit I picked up at the Mercedes-Benz headquarters along EDSA in Greenhills was the 250 Electric Art in Mountain Grey. It had a sleek aluminum roof rail running along the length of the vehicle, head-turning five-spoke light-alloy wheels, and a black panel in front with the iconic three-point star that’s the unmistakable symbol of the Stuttgart-based carmaker. Admittedly, at first glance, it looked like a generic luxury crossover you’d find parked in the garage of a sprawling two-story home of a doctor or lawyer out in the suburbs. It’s when you slide behind the wheel that the features that make the EQB stand out from the rest of its contemporaries become apparent.

As with any Mercedes-Benz, luxury and sophistication are effortless inside the EQB. Besides the new car scent, the supple leather seats upholstered in two-tone rose gold and titanium pearl are hard to ignore; it’s like settling into a favorite chair or sofa at home. The main instrument cluster is dominated by a trio of aircon vents that you can adjust wherever you want the cool air to go (and they look really cool and premium, too). The 10.25-inch digital instrument display is intuitive and easy to get the hang of, and there is ambient lighting that really makes an impression at night. 

There’s wireless Android Auto (and Apple Carplay if the iPhone is your mobile of choice) that doesn’t take much to connect and figure out. The charging system is also wireless, although there’s a Type 2 charging socket if you really must use a charging cable. According to the spec sheet, the cabin is equipped with a 10-speaker sound system, but I didn’t need to know that to appreciate the crisp sounds of my indie rock playlist as I drove along the congested city streets out to SLEX. 

Perhaps the best thing about the EQB is how it’s the first fully electric vehicle I’ve ever driven that didn’t give me a case of the dreaded range anxiety. Fully charged when I left the Mercedes-Benz showroom, the unit’s published range before its battery is completely discharged is from 422 to 473 kilometers. That’s equivalent to nearly the distance between Manila and Ilocos Norte (about 480 kilometers). Of course, I didn’t dare go that far; I was taking the EQB out only to the nearby cities of Carmona and Indang, Cavite (about 40 and 75 kilometers, respectively). As such, I never felt the need to worry. And that was even when I did things like turn the aircon on full-blast; switched between Eco, Comfort and Sport driving modes; or floored the accelerator to the speed limit on lonely backroads with nary a car in sight. 

On Sunday, I asked my family to help me test out the EQB. My sister and her two twentysomething kids all fit nicely in the second row (there’s a third row in the back with two additional seats), while my mom rode shotgun. The consensus seemed to be that the leather was ultra soft and comfortable, the cabin was incredibly quiet (when the music wasn’t on), and just the overall feeling of being “elevated” (how my niece put it). 

When I drove back to Manila, the EQB still had enough juice to go from Quezon City to Pasay City, and then all the way back to the Mercedes-Benz headquarters. In fact, when I pulled into the showroom, the reading said I could still drive another 80 or so kilometers. What range anxiety? 

Of the limited number of EVs I’ve had the pleasure of testing out, this was the first that I got to drive around a bunch of people that filled the cabin almost to capacity. And that, I think, is another advantage of the EQB. When you scour the landscape of EVs that can handle five or seven people at once, there currently aren’t a whole lot of choices out there. The EQB is, dare I say it, the best one if you’re in the market for an EV that can travel far and take a whole bunch of people with you. It doesn’t hurt that it looks incredibly good while doing it.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB starts at P4.190 million