Restyled Mercedes EQA and EQB: increased range despite unchanged battery

The Mercedes EQA and EQB electric compact SUVs receive a mid-career restyling, shortly after their thermal brothers GLA and GLB. They are indeed based on the latter, despite significant work by designers to give them their own personality.

The new black grille with a starry pattern no longer tries to imitate that of the thermal models, while it is now overhung by a light strip which connects the front lights. The rest of the novelties are in the detail with a new front shield or even revised taillights.

The interior novelties are the appearance of a steering wheel with touch controls already seen at Mercedes and a new version of the MBUX infotainment system. It is now possible to use the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto replication interfaces in wireless mode. The voice assistant has also been improved and allows you to perform certain functions without pronouncing the keywords “Hey Mercedes”, while the touchpad positioned on the central console has disappeared.

Up to 50 km of autonomy gained

If the useful 66.5 and 70.5 kWh batteries of the different versions of the EQA and EQB are unchanged, Mercedes has managed to increase their autonomy by reducing their consumption.

The engineers succeeded in reducing the aerodynamic drag of both cars and offered them new tires with low rolling resistance. A range maximization function also reduces fuel consumption. “Energy consumers such as the screen or the air conditioning can be turned off or their functionality limited in favor of greater autonomy”, explains Mercedes. The maximum mixed WLTP range thus increases from 529 to 560 km for the EQA (EQA 250+ version), and from 486 to 536 km for the EQB (EQB 250+ version), i.e. up to 50 additional km.

In addition, the EQB can now be optionally equipped with a tow ball. It will be marketed after the launch of the restyled version and only in a five-seater version, while the model is also offered in a seven-seater configuration. The towing capacity of the front-wheel-drive version is 1,400 kg, compared to 1,700 kg for the 4matic four-wheel-drive models.

Finally, the restyled EQA and EQB receive the Plug & Charge function of Mercedes me Charge. It is therefore now possible to start a charging session on a public charging station without first authenticating. The car and the terminal communicate directly with each other, like a Tesla on a Supercharger, for example.

The prices of the restyled versions of the EQA and EQB are not yet known, while the new models will arrive in dealerships in early 2024.