Mercedes-Benz EQA & EQB 250+ City Edition Seek Urban Comfort & Style

Mercedes-Benz Australia has created these two as a way to stay under the designated Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles, which means they can also be exempted from the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).
 

The all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQ family continues to grow, and the latest additions for the Land Down Under are the QA and EQB 250+ City Edition models, which “combine confident design with smart equipment choices tailored to the urban lifestyle.” Both have 19-inch AMG dual-tone alloy wheels, offered for the first time in Australia on these models, plus a “high level of standard specification.”
 
The standard features include metallic paint, a panoramic sliding sunroof, the Keyless-Go Comfort Package, and even heated front seats with memory function. There is also the MBUX infotainment system’s widescreen digital display with Augmented Reality for Navigation and individual driver profiles accessible via a fingerprint scanner.
 
Additional standard perks include wireless device charging, smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, digital radio, and an Advanced Sound System. At the front, there are Artico leather and Microcut microfibre-covered electrically-adjusted seats, a multifunction Nappa leather steering wheel for the driver, and more.
 
The key highlights outside are the AMG Line exterior styling, dark-tinted heat-insulating glass, and LED High Performance headlamps with Adaptive Highbeam Assist, while the driver also gets access to an extensive driver assistance package with Active Parking Assist, Distronic Active Distance Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist, Pre-Safe, and nine airbags.
 

Additionally, the larger EQB 250+ has a standard third row of seats, which can be folded flat when not in use, while the second row has 140 mm of front/rear travel distance. Both models have the same powertrain – a single motor churns out 140 kW and 385 Nm (188 hp and 284 lb-ft) of torque, with power coming from a 70.5 kWh battery.
 
The official NEDC rating for the range is 578 km for the EQA and 564 km for the EQB, which translates to 359 and 350 miles, respectively. However, keep in mind that NEDC is a very old standard, which has been superseded in places like the Old Continent by the WLTP rating – and even that one is more permissive than EPA’s testing procedures and ratings.
 
Anyway, customers will have to pay AUD 80,700 (MRLP – Manufacturer’s Recommended List Price) for the new Mercedes-Benz EQA 250+ City Edition and AUD 85,400 (MRLP) for the EQB 250+ City Edition. The pricing includes a three-year Service Plan Package and one year of complimentary charging at Chargefox public stations.
 
By the way, Mercedes-Benz recently reintroduced plug-in hybrid models to Australia with the arrival of the new Mercedes-Benz C 350 e sedan featuring a combined system output of 230 kW and 550 Nm, along with a nine-speed automatic transmission and RWD. It has a 25.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack for a range of 104 km and optional DC charging at up to 55 kW, in case you need an alternative to all-electric power. It’s a bit pricier, though, starting from AUD 98,200 (MRLP). So, what do you think of these new additions to the range?