Electric Mercedes-Benz Cars – 2022 Mercedes EQB vs Mercedes GLB

Most automakers are now moving towards the line of manufacturing compact crossovers and this comes with a good reason which is because they sell fast due to their image, design, and relative off-road ability. Everyone now wants a stylish, elevated car preferably with four driven wheels.

All the major automakers have cashed out on making cars such as this and one of the first real up-market models to arrive was the Mercedes M-Class and BMW’s X5; and since then, there are crossovers and SUVs that serve every imaginable niche, from subcompact to extra-large.

Mercedes has been selling its GLB compact crossover for a few years and its popularity is increasing but they have now made an electric version called the EQB which is good because we are now moving into an era of predominantly electric line-ups in the portfolios of carmakers.

• Mercedes Benz GLB – A Premium Crossover

The Mercedes GLB has been manufactured to fit every man’s desire, which means that any man can afford it. This is because it comes with a range of different engines and it could be suitable for a wide range of customers.

With a price of N20 million-N28 million, the mid-sized Mercedes can offer you any engine if it is a 2-liter engine.

The two basic models are essentially a two-wheel drive and an all-wheel-drive GLB 250, with 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque available in both cars. In the AMG version, you also get a 2-liter turbocharged inline-four, but in this version, it produces 302 horsepower and 295 pound-feet, enabling 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds against 6.9 seconds for the slower, non-AMG pair.

• Mercedes Benz EQB

The Mercedes EQB is built in the EQ platform and shares the same underpinnings with all the other EQ EVs that Mercedes-Benz makes now or will release in the future. Similar to a lot of other carmakers, the modular ‘skateboard’ platform means the cost can be optimised while releasing a fleet of new models all with electric power in the same chassis.

Mercedes plans on having 10 EV models in its range and these will all reflect the standard model line-up but with 100 per cent electric power – the EQB will be offered alongside the GLB.

This EQB sits between EQA and EQC just like the GLA, GLB, and GLC but as this is a separate brand, the prices are high. With Mercedes, the EV line-up is not intended to replace the standard one yet.

The Mercedes GLB Vs The New EQB: Final Decision

Looking at it from the cheapest option, the GLB which starts at N20 million will undercut the electric EQB by at least N4.5 million, or possibly as much as N6 million if it ends up retailing for around N32 million.

Mercedes-Benz Revealed 2022 EQB GLB250 Crossover with a Plug

For the exterior, the newer EV looks more modern and refined than the aging GLB – the latter is not an unattractive car, but you cannot deny the design language of the Mercedes-Benz EQ range looks elegant. Multi-spoke wheels and a rear light bar compliment the rest of the design inside, the cabin is carried over from the GLB with the same design and two 10.25” screens, but with a few minor differences including the popular rose gold trim accents. So apart from the significant price increase, it is down to style and powertrain to decide a better option between the two.