Mercedes EQB 300 4MATIC Real-World Range Test: Can a Boxy Electric Family SUV Be Efficient?
I took the all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz EQB 300 4MATIC on a round trip across the hills of eastern Romania, with city traffic, climbs and a long descent at the end. Here's the efficiency I measured on each stretch, how much energy it recovered downhill and what the augmented reality navigation can do.
A big, boxy electric SUV with all-wheel drive can't possibly be efficient. That's what a lot of people assume when they see a Mercedes-Benz EQB. I wanted to check it on a route I know very well in eastern Romania: from Iași to the town of Vaslui on the national road, then back on a different route over Bucium Hill, so I could also see how much energy the car recovers on a long descent. The car was brand new, with only 2,300 km (about 1,430 miles) on the clock, and I filmed the test on March 28, 2025. Every efficiency and range number below is what I read on the dashboard, and you can watch the full drive on my Mașina Timpului channel.
The car: what Mercedes says
The EQB is the compact electric family SUV from "Mercedes-Benz", and it's available with an optional third row for seven seats. The version I drove, the EQB 300 4MATIC, has two electric motors, one on each axle, with a combined peak output of 168 kW (225 hp). According to the official "Mercedes-Benz" press kit for the updated model, it DC fast charges at up to 100 kW, and Mercedes quoted WLTP consumption of 17.1–19.2 kWh/100 km and a WLTP range of 396–448 km (246–278 miles) for the EQB 300 4MATIC (international, provisional figures at launch). The update also brought Plug & Charge, which starts a session automatically when you plug in at a compatible charger, plus the newer MBUX infotainment generation.
When I set off, the battery was at 79% and the dashboard showed a range between 303 km and 429 km (188–267 miles). I like that Mercedes shows a range window instead of one number: you see the cautious estimate and what you could get if you drive very gently.
Navigation that draws the route on the camera image
The coolest feature I found on this car is the augmented reality navigation. Before every turn, the center screen switches on the front camera and draws the arrows right on top of the live road image. You see exactly which street to take, with the street name on the screen, so there's no guessing at tricky junctions or roundabouts. The directions also show up on the head-up display. "Mercedes-Benz" calls it MBUX Augmented Reality for navigation. The navigation also showed live traffic, with the minutes of delay along the route.
The digital cluster offers several display styles (discreet, sporty, classic) and several modes: navigation, assistance and service. I stayed on classic. In the center console there's a wireless phone charger and cupholders, and the materials feel high quality. The car is very comfortable and quiet, including over the railroad crossing on the route.
Heading out: efficiency stretch by stretch
I reset the trip computer when leaving the city and watched how the number changed:
- after 30 km (19 miles), in 31 minutes, at an average of 56 km/h (35 mph) with the climbs out of Iași: 19.1 kWh/100 km (about 3.3 mi/kWh);
- after 47 km (29 miles), in 46 minutes, at an average of 61 km/h (38 mph), at the railroad crossing I also used as a checkpoint in my Hyundai Inster test: 16.4 kWh/100 km (about 3.8 mi/kWh);
- entering Vaslui, after 1 hour 8 minutes at an average of 64 km/h (40 mph): 15.6 kWh/100 km (about 4.0 mi/kWh).
For a car this size, with the aerodynamics of a boxy SUV, I think that's very good. It's also below the WLTP window Mercedes quotes for this version. On arrival, the dashboard still showed 262 to 352 km (163–219 miles) of range.
The way back and the Bucium Hill descent
Traffic in Vaslui was fairly heavy, and the return route has more climbing. After 54 km (34 miles) and 51 minutes on the way back, at an average of 62 km/h (39 mph), I was at 18.7 kWh/100 km for that stretch. At the top of Bucium Hill I had 60% battery and 226 km (140 miles) of range.
Then came my favorite part: the descent toward Iași. The EQB has steering wheel paddles that let you choose how strongly it regenerates energy. I used regeneration on the way down, and on the stretches where I wanted the car to roll I briefly shifted to neutral and then back into Drive. The battery went up from 60% to 62%, and the displayed range climbed to 231 km (144 miles). That's one of the big advantages of an EV: part of the energy you spend going uphill comes back on the way down.
On the descent I noticed I had accidentally switched the climate control to ECO+. It's an energy-saving mode that Mercedes also suggests in its range monitoring feature, together with the ECO drive program and the automatic D Auto regeneration. One handy detail: every time you restart the car, it goes back to the Comfort drive mode on its own.
The final result
At the end of the route, the return leg from Vaslui to Iași came in at 17.2 kWh/100 km, and the average for the whole round trip was 16.5 kWh/100 km (about 3.8 mi/kWh), at an average speed of around 60 km/h (37 mph). For an all-wheel-drive family SUV, on a route with city streets, hills and traffic, that's a result I'm happy with.
I also found something interesting in the charging menu: the car tells you in advance the maximum power you can get at a DC fast charger, based on the battery's state of charge. Early in the day it showed around 31 kW, and at the end, with 62% battery, it showed 60 kW. "Mercedes-Benz" explains that the available DC charging power depends on the battery's preconditioning, so it's worth checking that menu before you pull into a charger.
What it means for drivers
If you have a family and you're looking at an electric SUV, the EQB's boxy shape shouldn't scare you off. On two-lane national roads, at averages of 55–65 km/h (34–40 mph), I got better efficiency than the official figures, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive is a real bonus in winter when it snows. What impressed me most were the comfort and the camera-based navigation, which genuinely saves you from wrong turns in unfamiliar cities. My advice: use regeneration on descents, check the charging menu before you stop, and leave the climate control on Auto or ECO+ on longer drives. And if you want even more range, Mercedes has already launched the new electric GLB, the EQB's successor, with an 85 kWh usable battery, an 800-volt architecture and up to 631 km (392 miles) of WLTP range for the GLB 250+, according to the official "Mercedes-Benz" press release.
