2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC Review

Of the numerous cars that share its platform, the GLB is my favorite baby Mercedes-Benz.

It’s easy to like: boxy-cool, smooth to drive, available in the quasi-hot-hatch AMG 35 guise. Mercedes’ electric vehicles have been well-received here at AutoGuide, too. So by all means, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC should be just the sort of small-ish, family-friendly EV the market needs, right?

Not exactly. The EQB does a lot of things well, but there are some shortcomings this electric conversion has produced, and the price Mercedes is asking is—pardon the pun—shocking.

The whole EQB is new for this year, slotting in as the smallest all-electric model in the lineup. Unlike the other EQ models, however, this one rides on a modified version of the gas-powered equivalent’s platform. (It’s also built elsewhere, in Hungary instead of the GLB’s Mexico plant.)

America sees three different offerings: a baseline, single-motor EQB 250+, and the dual-motor 300 and 350 (both badged as 4MATIC). Canada gets just the most powerful option, and that’s the one you see here. There’s a useful 288 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque on offer; slightly down on the GLB 35’s 302 hp, but far more torque. The EV is carting around an additional 849 pounds (385 kilograms) of weight, though.

It’s easy to spot the EQB out on the road. Like the GM badge engineering jobs of the ’90s, the middle section is the same, but both ends are different. Personally, I dig the backend redesign: the full-width light bar looks cool, emphasizing the width of this funky box. The front-end re-nosing is less successful: the smooth, single-element look from the rest of the EQ family fits awkwardly here. I would’ve loved the Rose Gold paint instead of boring black, too. The unique wheel design stands out, but only because the blue highlights are the exact hue of pre-delivery protection strips.

From the driver’s seat, there’s very little separating EQ and GL. There’s the same single-panel, dual-screen setup that first debuted on the A-Class, becoming a far more common sight in the following four years. A quintet of air vents punctuate a simple dashboard design, with a metallic texture and thick pseudo-grab-bar providing enough visual interest. The center console houses the redundant trackpad and various infotainment controls—keeping the shift stalk allows for a much more clean central layout. It takes very little time to get used to the lay of the land here.

That similarity to the gas model is a blessing and a curse. The layout is great, sure; but in the price space the EQB plays in, the material quality does not feel game. There’s a lot of shiny black plastic along the dashboard and door panels. The seats aren’t even real leather—though to Merc’s credit, most passengers probably wouldn’t notice unless you told them.

The seats are comfortable, however, with a good range of adjustment and ample support. There are acres of headroom up front, too, even with the big pano roof. The second row is more of the same, so long as you’re running the electric B as a five-seater.

Like its gas brethren, the EQB offers the option of three-row seating. Now it’s important to note there’s a warning on the door jamb that very clearly spells out these aren’t for adults. Think of them as occasional jump seats, when you need to cart around the kids and their friends. From that perspective, they’re fine. Though I should point out, an impromptu comparison between this and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV showed this isn’t the most cramped third row out there.

This might not be the latest Mercedes infotainment system, but it remains my favorite. The main menu takes only a bit of time to get used to, and the huge icons make it simple to operate in your peripheral vision. Helping that are the wheel-mounted touchpads, which are less sensitive than the newer setups elsewhere in the lineup. Okay, it needs wireless pairing for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but beyond that, this feels bang up to date. Same goes with the instrument panel, which functions much the same way via the left-spoke touchpad. Anything that keeps my hands on the wheel gets a thumbs up.

I’m a big fan of the uprated Burmester sound system present here. It’s powerful, with clean highs and lows. EQB buyers can look forward to four USB-C ports plus a wireless charger, so keeping the juice full on the fam’s devices shouldn’t be an issue. Of course, there’s the 64-color LED ambient lighting setup, if you want to go full Cyberpunk 2077 inside. I recommend anything pink or purple.

Fair warning now: I’m getting a bit spoiled auto journo here.

A dash to 62 mph (00 km/h) in an even six seconds is not slow. The EQB does it without issue, and it’ll even push past that with satisfying oomph in passing scenarios. (Top speed is 99 mph / 160 km/h). This isn’t a performance variant: this is an EV family SUV.

But that is slow when compared to everything else in this price range. The EQB’s 288 horsepower just can’t match the counts elsewhere. That wouldn’t be a problem if the range made up for it. But with a small 70.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack, the EQB lags behind there, too. Its 221 miles (356 km) a little less than the Volvo C40 and Genesis GV60 we compared last year, and both of those have well over 100 horsepower more. At least it’s consistent: our week together showed it would do around that on a charge, if not slightly more.

The EQB rides smoother than either, however. This is a comfy highway mile muncher—or rather, it would be if it weren’t so noisy inside. Wind noise, tire noise, the constant hum of outside; the EQB almost feels like a gas car in this sense, and not in a good way. The suspension also makes a racket over larger bumps, feeling distinctly un-premium. The steering is good, and the brake pedal dodges the weirdness found in the pedal of the EQS twins. It doesn’t have a full one-pedal mode however, which is a miss in these books.

Charging is also behind the curve. The EQB tops out at 100 kW, meaning it will do the 10–80 percent DC standard in 32 minutes.

I’ve kept hinting at it: the EQB’s largest stumbling block is its equally large price tag.

Starting at $61,700 including destination (or $75,700 CAD without it in Canada), our tester includes a range of upgrades to nearly max out the price tag. No premium paint or full-leather interior, but the third-row, driver assist package, and the Pinnacle trim (essentially Canada’s Premium Package), bump it to $70,800. Or in Canada, $85,500 CAD before destination.

Even with its foibles, I liked the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC well enough during our week together. In a vacuum, it makes a lot of sense as the anchor of the electrified Benz lineup. The B prioritizes a smooth ride and a calm, spacious cabin, two qualities that remain fairly rare in this segment.

The problem is that it lags behind the competition in a lot of other ways. Being pricey alone isn’t a deal-breaker—this is Benz we’re talking about—but having outdated charging limits, a short range, merely okay cabin materials, and no more power than anything else is a tough combo. If you need the most spacious small(ish) luxury EV SUV out there, then sure, the EQB is the ticket. But give up a wee bit of that, and there are plenty of other compelling choices on the market.

FAQs

How much does the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC cost?

The EQB 350 4MATIC will set buyers back $61,700 in the US, including destination. A cheaper, front-drive EQB 250+ is available for $53,900. Canada only offers the EQB 350 4MATIC trim, starting at $75,700 CAD without destination.

Is EQB smaller than GLC?

Yes; with the GLC entering a new generation for 2023, it is now slightly larger, inside and out.

What is the range of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB 350 4MATIC?

221 miles, or 356 kilometers.