It’s no secret that electric vehicles are the in thing in India, and an impressive array of them are available, catering to every budget, need and want. You can buy everything from a tiny urban runabout to a fast-and-furious sportscar, but if you wanted an electric, seven-seat people-hauler you were curiously out of luck — until now. The Mercedes-Benz EQB is essentially the electric version of the seven-seat GLB that you will read about elsewhere in this issue, and both cars were conveniently made available during the media drives in the hills of Kodaikanal (well, it would have been odd had they not, since Mercedes-Benz India was launching them simultaneously).
Here’s the low-down. Mercedes is betting big on EVs, and it feels that there’s plenty of scope for them in the upper echelons of the price game. The EQB, for example, will likely come in around ₹75 to ₹80 lakh, which isn’t chump change, but it will be a bargain compared to the giant EQC (I’ve touched upon Merc’s confusing alphabet game elsewhere in the issue, so I won’t go into it again). It’ll be a part of Merc’s growing EV range, consisting of cars like the EQC and the EQS, and will duke it out with competition from the likes of BMW, Volvo, and even Kia — but it’ll be the only one offering seven seats.
Adjustable and clear digital cluster looks premium
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Motoring World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
STRIKE HARD!
The KYT Striker lands a tough blow in the entry-level helmet segment in India
SHUTTER SPEED
Performance benchmarks from the Y2K era get together for 36 frames of action
OLD FLAMES
They say that getting old isn't for the faint of heart.
SPEED OF LIGHT
Three of the sportiest 125cc motorcycles go head to head for all the glory
QUESTION IT ALL
Everyone has an answer, but what's the right question?
SINGLE DOUBT
In a world that goes gaga over multi-cylinder engines, these singles will steal your heart
HYBRID HAVOC
The Lexus RX 500h F Sport breaks away from the mould, with its bold styling and sport-tuned performance
LIGHT SPEED
BMW’s new luxury EV sedan has supercar-level performance. Naturally, we had to go out and experience it
V8 WHAT?
We test the world's most powerful 2.0-litre engine to see if it can truly replace a V8
NEWFOUND DZIRE
Smarter, safer, and loaded with features, the new Dzire is ready to remind us why it's ruled the segment for ages