The EQA250, the EQB250, the EQE300 and the EQE350+
Mercedes-Benz Philippines electrifies its lineup with the launch of the EQ-Class. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
Mercedes-Benz Philippines joins the ever-growing roster of brands offering electric vehicles locally with the launch of its brand-new electrified lineup.
In one fell swoop, the EQA250 Electric Art, the EQB250 Electric Art, the EQE300 Electric Art, and the EQE350+ AMG are now available.
The front-wheel-drive EQA250 is powered with a 140kW electric drivetrain. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The EQA is essentially an electrified form of the GLA, both with the drivetrain and its looks. With a motor developing 140kW and 385Nm, the EQA manages a purported 0-100km/h time of 8.6 seconds up to a Vmax of 160km/h. Combined with the 66.5kWh battery, it gets a WLTP range of 457km to 495km.
While it may seem larger than the vehicles of yesteryear, it seems to slot in right within the current generation of its class. At 4,463mm long, 1,834mm wide and 1,613mm tall, it’s somewhere in the middle of the pack as far as electrified crossovers go these days. And, with a curb weight of 2,040kg, it’s not exactly featherlight either.
The EQA and EQB headlights have the characteristic EV blue stripe running across the front lens. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The front grille is a solid piece with the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star prominently up front. The high-performance LED headlights are about what you would expect from a current-day Mercedes, albeit with a blue insert to let everyone know it’s electric.
The EV blue highlight extends to the wheels, a rather elegantly done design while maintaining a level of utilitarianism. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The wheels get the same treatment, with a blue stripe running down each of the five spokes that make up the 19-inch electric art light-alloy rims.
The folded-over lightbar at the rear is quite elegant and functional. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
A red lightbar adorns the back, running across to act as an integrated taillamp. The rear hatch can be opened either with a kick sensor, or via the cleverly integrated lever masquerading as a badge.
The rear hatch is opened by a cleverly disguised lever. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The boot has adequate space for its class, with the rear seats folding in a 40:20:40 configuration.
The rear load floor is quite high up, but especially spacious with the fold-flat seats. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
Moving to the front, you’re first greeted with projected puddle lights and illuminated door sills. Both the driver side and the passenger side get power-adjust seating with memory function, the controls of which are set in a door card trimmed with Artico leather.
The puddle lights remind you of who made the vehicle, but the door cards assure you of the quality and the functionality this brings. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The trim extends to the seats, mixed with Cupertino fabric with a two-tone pattern in rose gold and titanium pearl. The same motif is presented on the dash, alongside rose-gold aircon vents and soft-touch materials.
The interior is quite well done, with unobtrusive yet sizable screens. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
Two 10.25-inch displays, arranged side by side, form the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. The latter is controlled by a touchpad in the center console, and supports wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Thankfully, however, Mercedes-Benz has stuck with physical buttons for interacting with the climate control.
The two-tone upholstery continues to the rear, with a roomy second row. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The EQB offers much of the same experience, but with a roomier interior and the addition of third-row seating for “passengers up to a height of 1.68m.”
The EQB gets a slight increase in rated output power to match the increased weight. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The drivetrain is bumped up to a rated output of 140kW with 385Nm. It maintains the same capacity as the EQA at 66.5kWh, giving a WLTP range of 422km to 473km.
The seven-seater EQB maintains the stature of the EQA, in a more spacious package. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The exterior styling largely carries over from the EQA as well, albeit on a slightly bigger platform at 4,684mm long, 1,834mm wide and 1,689mm tall. The 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels are the same, although a limited-edition version is offered with a 20-inch AMG multi-spoke light-alloy wheel.
A smattering of USB-C ports give power to both front and rear passengers. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
Common across the four models launched are a smattering of USB-C ports. For the EQA, you get one ahead of the center cupholders, two hidden inside the center console, and two more for the rear passengers. The EQB and the EQE are much the same in that department as well.
The EQA, the EQB and the EQE charge via a Type 2 CCS port. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
All four models also charge with a 11kW AC charger via a Type 2 CCS port. The EQA250 and the EQB250 peak at 100kW on a DC charger, while the EQE300 and the EQE350+ AMG will charge up to a rate of 170kW.
The added charging rate of the four-door coupe gives a clue to the power it sends straight to the rear wheels.
The EQE is the EV to drive: rear-wheel drive, weight down low to the ground, coupe styling, and wheelbase. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The EQE300 has a rated output of 180kW with 550Nm, taking it from zero to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds. Powered by an 89kWh battery, the 2,405kg coupe has a WLTP range of 422km to 473km.
The EQE350+ available in other markets gets the AMG Line treatment for the local release. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
AMG-ify that and you get the EQE350+ AMG. The output gets bumped to 215kW with 565Nm, further reducing that 0-100km/h time down to 6.4 seconds. The 90.56kWh battery gives it a frankly ridiculous range, with a quoted 644km to 682km.
Curiously, however, this seems to be an AMG upbadged version of the EQE350+ available in other markets, with proper AWD AMG EQEs hitting anywhere from 350kW to a crazy 505kW of rated output.
The EQE350+ AMG is a touch lighter at 2,360kg, but both versions will hit a top speed of roughly 210km/h.
The EQE's central display is massive, quite elegant, and convenient. The touchscreen A/C controls may be a little contentious, however. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The infotainment display on the EQE is bigger, with a 12.8-inch OLED panel. You do get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but climate control functionality is all done onscreen.
A wireless charging pad underneath the center display gives a fully seamless cable-free experience.
The AMG Line treatment gives you red seatbelts, AMG-branded mats, and sport seats. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The EQE AMG gets red seatbelts, AMG-branded floor mats, and sport seats because, well…it’s AMG. But it surprisingly gets the same suite of features as the non-AMG EQE.
The interior mood lighting extends from the door cards into the seats and even into the air-conditioning vents, alongside a backlit, minutely cut triple-point star-patterned fascia trim piece.
The backlit fascia and the highlighted trim make the EQE's interior just a little extra. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The LCD instrument cluster is a touch larger at 12.3 inches, with touch controls situated on the Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel. Paddle shifters on either side are there to help control the amount of brake regeneration.
The LCD instrument cluster is bright and clean, but the paddle shifters may confuse first-time EV owners. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
And the exterior is, well, just about as practically elegant as you would expect from a performance-oriented Merc. The smooth body lines of the four-door coupe are headed by a single flat panel taking the place of the radiator grille, again patterned in tiny triple-pointed stars.
The EQE gets the same triple-pointed star pattern treatment on its front grille. PHOTO BY HANS BOSSHARD
The 20-inch five-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels are a slightly more elegant touch, while the EQE350+ AMG gets a 20-inch five-spoke alloy rim that’s straight out of a sci-fi film.
The 20-inch five-twin-spoke wheel is a slicker implementation of the EQA and EQB wheels, but the space-age pointillistic AMG wheels are sure to turn heads. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The headlights manage to still be even brighter, featuring Mercedes’s digital light and ultra range high-beam tech. The EQE somewhat drops the “blue means electric!” stereotype, opting for a beautiful geometric fiber optic setup for its daytime running lamps.
The digital light headlights are incredibly bright. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
They couldn’t let the EV gimmicks go entirely, however, with seamless door handles that hide behind the body. While it does give the slipstream a much smoother surface to work with, it does take some coaxing to get the door handles to pop out and function as, er, door handles.
It takes some getting used to in popping out door handles, but boy, does it make the car look (and aerodynamically become) slicker. PHOTOS BY HANS BOSSHARD
The Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 Electric Art is offered at P3,990,000, while the EQB 250 Electric Art is available for P4,190,000. Both models come in a choice of Denim Blue, Iridium Silver, Mountain Grey, Night Black and Selenite Grey.
The EQE 300 Electric Art, on the other hand, is offered at P5,590,000, while the EQE 350+ AMG Line is available for P6,290,000. Both come in Graphite Grey, High-tech Silver, Obsidian Black, Polar White or Selenite Grey.
While Inchcape Philippines has brought it in the country, other non-Inchcape dealerships will be offering the three EV models as well. Besides roadside assistance and service packages, all of these EVs will be bundled with charging units as well.
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz PH launches 3 new electric vehicles