The Drive Report: Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 arrives, with more power and torque

Mercedes-EQ

When the Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4Matic, alongside its diesel-powered counterpart, the GLB, the consumer vote, it appeared, was divided.

Mercedes-Benz India CEO Santosh Iyer, in fact, stated that customers wanted whichever model they could get their hands on, meaning whichever had a shorter waiting period.

Both the EQB 300 and the GLB have their strong points, but the diesel, with its heavy dose of low-end torque and interstate driveability, seems to edge out the otherwise stellar EQB 300. Or, so we thought.

A little over six months after the EQB 300 arrived, over 80 percent customers are clamouring for the EQB, prompting Mercedes-Benz India to replace the EQB 300 with the more powerful EQB 350.

No waiting around for a mid-life-cycle update, no sticking to the perfectly adequate 300. The sheer meteor-like momentum of Mercedes-Benz India’s success in the luxury car market means it can address even the minutest gaps, resulting in a product that is even more suited to the needs of the discerning EV consumer.

So what does a consumer who is willing to pay the CBU price (that was subject to a recent revision) for an SUV, based on the same platform as Merc’s internationally acclaimed B-Class, get for an additional Rs 3 lakh over the EQB 300?

More power and torque, for starters, which, historically speaking, is more than half the job done. So the big question remains: is the EQB 350 a noticeably quicker car than the one it replaces? And as a redundant afterthought, can it make it a better driving experience?

The Powertrain

The EQB 350 retains the 300’s 66.5 kWh battery, with a dual-motor setup deploying power to all wheels. However, it is the set-up that has changed now, with the front getting an induction asynchronous motor while the rear gets a fancier permanent magnet synchronous motor, sending power to the rear. When the slip is detected, the all-wheel drive functionality kicks in.

Mercedes-EQ, EQB, 2021; Electric Art Line

Torque is up by a considerable 130Nm, adding up to 520 Nm in total, and it’s in the zestful deployment of the same that the 350’s appeal lies. This is a quick car whose weight and dimensions belie just how brisk its acceleration can be. Any potential torque advantage presented by the GLB has now been summarily nullified. The total power count adds up to 288 hp, but the party trick is the instantaneous-yet-linear torque delivery, which makes overtaking a breeze.

The USP

As a CBU product, it’s only a matter of time that the EQB’s appeal gets drowned out by the buzz surrounding a product like the next-gen GLC.

Mercedes-EQ, EQB, 2021; Edition 1

As a former best-seller, the resurgent GLC will seem like the more tantalising prospect, benefiting from local assembly and sitting one segment above the EQB.
But there is a case to be made for the EQB -- one that doesn’t involve extolling the virtues of its electric powertrain or its rather laughable third-row of seating.

The EQB is an ideally proportioned car. Its ride height, seating position and dimensions make it an ergonomic master class. It’s not imposingly large enough to not fit into the gaps on the road. Still, it feels cavernous on the inside.

Ingress and egress are terrific. Yet, the ground clearance allows the underbody to peer imperiously at any obstructive element on the road. Seldom have SUVs seemed so wholesome, so manageable and yet so spacious. It’s a product worth studying because I simply cannot fathom why anyone would need a taller or wider car.

Whatever purpose the crossover-slash-soft-roader is supposed to serve, the EQB serves it with panache.

Besides, there is a lack of three-row SUVs in the luxury realm. While the third row on the EQB doesn’t do much to address that, being a 7-seater luxury EV elevates it to the rank of luxury crossovers. I can see how some people might prefer it to the GLC, especially the petrol version.

The new vs the newer

A fresh set of alloys and some distinct badging are pretty much the only visual markers setting apart the EQB 350 from its less-sprightly counterpart. The insides remain the same, which is an aesthetic delight, but technologically doesn’t seem to be on par with its contemporaries. No ventilated seats (an ailment even the C-Class suffers from) and no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Thankfully, they haven’t changed the way this car rides, which is tremendous. It is as plush as it needs to be without feeling wallowy at any point, thanks, in part, to its already low centre of gravity.

Another remarkable fact was that the added power, and some spirited driving on my part, didn’t do much to lower the car’s range, which, in the real world, would amount to less than 10 percent of the 300’s range.

Expect a sub 340km real-world range and you’re good. Fast-charging options remain the same, with the EQB taking in a maximum of 100kWh of fast charging. The overall charging time also remains unchanged.

VERDICT

With demand so clearly in favour of electric luxury, Mercedes-Benz has addressed any performance deficit between the EQB and the GLB with one quick wave of a wand. It’s a small and pre-emptive form of course correction that goes to show how closely Mercedes-Benz is attuned to the needs of the market, and how quickly the brand can address those needs. The EQB was a perfectly good electric crossover, with no glaring flaws. Now, it’s a near-perfect one.