The EQB is positioned between the EQA and EQC in Mercedes’ expanding range of full-electric vehicles. It will be a rival to models such as the Audi Q4 e-tron and VW ID4. Neither of those competitors offers seating for seven. The larger VW ID6, which is also debuting at the Shanghai show, has a seven-seat version.
The crossover will have front-wheel and all-wheel drive options and power output of up to 215 kilowatts (288 hp). It has the same 2829-mm (111-inch) wheelbase as the GLB.
The EQB will go on sale in China and Europe this year and in the U.S. next year, Daimler said. It will be built in Beijing for China and Kecskemet, Hungary, for other markets.
Mercedes-Benz will introduce up to three battery-electric utility vehicles and a midsize sedan in the U.S. next year, sources told Automotive News.
The product offensive will start in the first quarter with the EQB, following by the EQE, an electric version of Mercedes’ E-Class midsize sedan. The second half of 2022 could see the arrival of the EQA subcompact crossover, which will go on sale in Europe this spring but has not been approved for the U.S.
Toward the end of 2022, Mercedes will release the full-size EQS SUV, which will also be the brand’s first U.S.-made EV.
