Features / 22 January 2023 / Albert du Toit

Electric Mercedes-Benz EQB vs petrol-powered GLB – Driving impressions

Mercedes-Benz recently introduced a battery-electric alternative to its GLB range, the EQB.

Priced at around R1.4 million, the new-energy SUV carries a R400,000 premium over its closest combustion-engined counterpart, but the high-end brand alluded that it attracts customers for whom this difference isn’t an immediate dealbreaker.

These individuals aren’t relying solely on Eskom for their electricity, they are curious about electric vehicles (EV), and they want a Mercedes.

We were fortunate enough to spend a day in their shoes and with a decent amount of time behind the wheel of both the manufacturer’s B-badged SUVs with vastly-different propulsion technologies, we were stunned to find that there isn’t much difference in personality at all.

Driving impressions

The EQB350 boasts two electric motors with a combined output of 215kW and 520Nm, compared to the GLB250 which puts out 165kW and 350Nm from a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol block.

With the electric ace up its sleeves, the EQB’s torquey powertrain lets it claim 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds and it remains highly responsive even when traveling freeway speeds.

The GLB does the deed in 7.1 seconds and while its accelerator isn’t sluggish by many standards, it doesn’t match the EV’s urgency.

At higher revs, the responsiveness of the petrol engine also diminishes and merging into a fast-moving road or overtaking on the freeway needs a bit more planning, whereas with the EQB’s electric advantage, it’s almost effortless.

Having only driven the front-wheel-drive GLB250 before, the all-wheel-drive EQB was less prone to spin its wheels off the line, though you’d expect the substantially-higher kerb weight (2,175kg vs 1,610kg) to be more discernable around corners than it truly is.

You must pay close attention to detect that it does remain a tad flatter in bends and that the centre of gravity feels a bit lower, but this only shines through when you push the SUVs harder than the average owner probably would.

Where the ICE powertrain does still post an advantage is with driving range and top speed – the GLB being able to topple 240km/h whereas the EQB is limited to 160km/h, but the law doesn’t exactly permit either of these speeds on a public road.

Regarding range, the petrol GLB’s 52-litre fuel tank is quoted from Mercedes to offer 703km of driving whereas the diesel model’s 60-litre tank is good for 1,091km.

According to the manufacturer, the EQB350 which is equipped with a 66kWh battery will provide anywhere from 395-423km in optimal conditions with four energy recuperation settings included to achieve the best possible range. The ICE models have an “Eco” drive setting for the same purpose.

Realistically, to achieve the same driving distance as the GLB, the EQB would then need to be recharged at least one and a half times which at public rates of R5.88/kWh would cost R582. At January’s prices, the GLBs would cost between R1,100-R1,300 to refill depending on the fuel type, so the EV has the upper hand once again.

Mercedes also said many of its EQ customers have moved off-grid and are able to supply power for their cars from renewable sources, which has brought down the cost of ownership even further while eliminating the stresses associated with loadshedding.

The proliferate presence of renewable home power sources in our market, therefore, makes South Africa an “ideal” country for EV adoption, said the automaker.

Charging times have become a separate argument, though, as manufacturers claim that an owner’s habits have and will change after they purchase an EV.

“Like recharging a phone,” when they get home, customers plug the vehicles into the wall and when they pull away again the next morning it’s fully charged and they won’t get caught off guard with an empty battery – like so often happens with a fuel tank.

For interest’s sake, if you must juice up the battery-electric Mercedes in a public space you will need at least 52 minutes of free time as this is how long it takes the EQB to charge from 10-80% at a 60kW DC plug – one of the most powerful stations on the GridCars network used by all EV brands in South Africa.

On a 7.2kW AC home charger, which is free with each purchase of a new EQ car and between R12,000-R15,000 if you buy one separately, charging from 10-100% takes nine hours.

Electric looks

Next to one another, the B-SUVs are clearly from the same family, but not the same household.

Both are square-bodied and occupy nearly the exact same dimensions – the EV being 50mm longer and 9mm taller – but the GLB strikes a more burly appearance sporting a grated grille with horizontal crossbars, sitting on top faux air inlets on the AMG trim and fog light housings on the Progressive.

The rectangular headlights also signal the pre-EV days of Mercedes design, with two exhaust outlets necessary for the fossil-fuel burner to let go of its gases.

The EQB, meanwhile, is futuristic in its appearance but not to the point where it becomes a turnoff.

It swaps out the airy grille with a shapely, solid, gloss-black panel, and a thin LED lightbar runs from East to West, starting at one headlight flowing through to the other.

The light clusters, too, are slimmer and more rounded than in the GLB and the fake intakes are smaller. Round the back, there is no sign of any tailpipes and the taillights are once again joined by a continuous LED strip, which is unique to the battery-powered variant.

The two model ranges are also offered with exclusive wheel designs measuring 18 inches on the EV as standard and between 17 and 19 inches on the ICE versions.

Inside the cabin, there is little that differentiates the EQB from the GLB.

Both SUVs are incredibly spacious and will carry five passengers with ease, though the large underfloor battery module means the EV’s boot is 70-litres smaller, for a total of 495 litres.

Both also offer the same abilities and options and are extensively equipped, with standard fittings including climate control, a digital driver’s display, Artico leather/fabric upholstery, automatic LED lights, rain-sensing wipers, a reverse camera with active parking assist, cruise control, and the MBUX touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

As such, the only area that makes it known you’re in an EV is the EQ app on the central display, which offers electric-only features such as charging settings, finding the thirstiest electricity consumers, and checking the flow of energy into and out of the battery.