Mercedes-Benz EQB

Fully electric SUV has seating for seven and a range of more than 250 miles On sale Now Price from £52,145

- Vicky Parrott

THERE’S BEEN A piece missing from the electric car puzzle for years, but the Mercedes-Benz EQB could be the car to complete the picture. You see, the only seven-seat electric SUV available until its arrival was the Tesla Model X – a huge and hugely expensive car. The EQB costs about half as much and – being similar in size to the Land Rover Discovery Sport – has more manageable proportions.

It’s based on the Mercedes-Benz GLB, but with motors and a 66.5kWh battery instead of an engine and fuel tank. There are currently two four-wheel-drive variants: the 225bhp EQB 300 and the 288bhp EQB 350, both of which have an official range of up to 257 miles. A front-wheel-drive model with a single motor will eventually join the line-up.

The EQB can charge at up to 100kW; that’s slower than the Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Model Y, but a 10-80% charge is still possible in 32 minutes. A full charge from a 7kW home wall box will take just under 11 hours.

The EQB 350 can’t match the performance of a Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E, but it’s more than potent enough to entertain and can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 1800kg.