Photo: Mercedes-Benz
The all-electric compact SUVs from Mercedes-Benz, the EQA and EQB, are said to boast "a raft of impressive updates" as they prepare for their arrival in Australia and seek to "further broaden their appeal."
The premium German automaker revealed the mid-cycle facelifts for both the EQA and EQB models last summer. However, even almost a year later, they're still making their way into new territory. The latest stop of their global conquest is the Land Down Under, where the fresh EQA and EQB arrive with a new 250+ variant starting from AUD 84,900 (MRLP) and AUD 89,100 (MRLP) respectively, thus keeping below the country's Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold.
If you want to know their prices in greenbacks, it's almost $55k and more than $57k, respectively, which is not exactly graceful – in America, the Mercedes EQB 250+ base variant kicks off at a lower $52,750 MSRP point. As always, it's the particularities of each market that ultimately determine the price – but no one will dare say these Mercedes EVs are cheap. Anyway, there's also a more expensive option – the EQA 350 4Matic with all-wheel drive kicks off at AUD 102,900, or more than $66k!
Anyway, back to Australia and its fresh Mercedes EQA 250+ and EQB 250+ arrivals, the company thinks the main selling point will be the extra driving range compared to the predecessor variants, along with additional standard equipment and the convenience of better electric charging thanks to the launch of the Mercedes me Charge service plus the complimentary Chargefox subscription.
Compared to the EQA and EQB 250, the 250+ variants have sleeker styling thanks to the mid-cycle design update, more features present in the option list in the past, plus a targeted boost of range. The new EQA 250+ will gain 54 km (33.5 miles) for a total of 578 km (359 miles), and the EQB 250+ has another 57 km (35.4 miles) for a new rating of 564 km (350.4 miles) – but keep in mind that Mercedes uses the NEDC system for these values.
In terms of styling, there's a new front grille with a constellation of Mercedes stars, new taillight graphics, the latest multifunction sports steering wheel clad in Nappa leather, or a new Mercedes-Benz backlit pattern trim. Previously optional equipment features, now standard, include the AMG Line, electric front seats, a more advanced sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and standard metallic paint. There's also adjustable damping suspension on both and the same powertrain – a single electric motor with 140 kW (188 hp) and 385 Nm (284 lb-ft) of torque hooked to a 70.5-kWh battery pack.
Meanwhile, the more expensive EQA 350 4Matic has dual electric motors with 215 kW (288 hp) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque, but the battery pack is smaller (66.5 kWh), and the range falls accordingly to 489 km (304 miles). However, it accelerates faster, zipping to 100 kph (62 mph) in just six seconds.
If you want to know their prices in greenbacks, it's almost $55k and more than $57k, respectively, which is not exactly graceful – in America, the Mercedes EQB 250+ base variant kicks off at a lower $52,750 MSRP point. As always, it's the particularities of each market that ultimately determine the price – but no one will dare say these Mercedes EVs are cheap. Anyway, there's also a more expensive option – the EQA 350 4Matic with all-wheel drive kicks off at AUD 102,900, or more than $66k!
Anyway, back to Australia and its fresh Mercedes EQA 250+ and EQB 250+ arrivals, the company thinks the main selling point will be the extra driving range compared to the predecessor variants, along with additional standard equipment and the convenience of better electric charging thanks to the launch of the Mercedes me Charge service plus the complimentary Chargefox subscription.
Compared to the EQA and EQB 250, the 250+ variants have sleeker styling thanks to the mid-cycle design update, more features present in the option list in the past, plus a targeted boost of range. The new EQA 250+ will gain 54 km (33.5 miles) for a total of 578 km (359 miles), and the EQB 250+ has another 57 km (35.4 miles) for a new rating of 564 km (350.4 miles) – but keep in mind that Mercedes uses the NEDC system for these values.
In terms of styling, there's a new front grille with a constellation of Mercedes stars, new taillight graphics, the latest multifunction sports steering wheel clad in Nappa leather, or a new Mercedes-Benz backlit pattern trim. Previously optional equipment features, now standard, include the AMG Line, electric front seats, a more advanced sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and standard metallic paint. There's also adjustable damping suspension on both and the same powertrain – a single electric motor with 140 kW (188 hp) and 385 Nm (284 lb-ft) of torque hooked to a 70.5-kWh battery pack.
Meanwhile, the more expensive EQA 350 4Matic has dual electric motors with 215 kW (288 hp) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque, but the battery pack is smaller (66.5 kWh), and the range falls accordingly to 489 km (304 miles). However, it accelerates faster, zipping to 100 kph (62 mph) in just six seconds.
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