Mercedes-Benz was is the car maker who pioneered the luxury EV space in the country with its EQC, back in 2020 and over the past four years the German car maker has launched a slew of luxury EVs across segments. However, the EQB 350 you see here is one of its most underrated launches. It is an updated version of the EQB 300 that was launched back in 2022 but more importantly, the EQB 350 is immensely practical and one of your best options if looking for a luxury EV for you family.
That said, when Mercedes-Benz India called me to offer the EQB 350 4MATIC for a long term test, I was pretty excited. For starters, it is more powerful now, has ditched the third row of seats and is now a five-seater only, making the boot more usable and comes with all-wheel drive. It’s got a 66.5kWh battery pack and two electric motors onboard (one on each axle) and the outputs are rather impressive too – you’re talking 292PS and 520Nm, sent to all four wheels! So performance is more than just smile inducing, but as I’ve realised over the past few weeks, the EQB 350 isn’t an SUV you want to put pedal to the metal in or drive fast.
And that’s because it an SUV you want to take it easy in and drive calmly, to be able to enjoy your time behind the wheel. But more importantly, given the instant torque on offer, you’re never left wanting and the EQB 350 is more than willing sprint ahead any time you want. It also manages a shade under 400km per charge when driven calmly, which is not too bad given the kind of performance on offer, and it should just about be able to manage a Pune-Mumbai-Pune run.
Its 400V battery architecture has the EQB support up to 100kW fast charging, though the charging speeds available in Pune are 60kW usually. That said, the EQB is quick to juice up, and I’m also impressed with the Mercedes-Benz app, as it lets me access information about the EQB any time, even when away from the car, besides offering precise charging information when it’s on charge. And then there’s the fact that the EQB 350 looks very good, especially in this pretty shade of red. But more than me, it’s my 9-year old daughter who is enamoured by the EQB’s looks, and loves being driven around in it!
