Mercedes-Benz Korea launches facelifted full-electric compact SUVs EQA, EQB

Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Mathias Vaitl, right, poses with Kilian Thelen, vice president of Product, Marketing and Digital Business at the company, after launching the carmaker’s facelifted EQA electric SUV at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea

Mercedes-Benz Korea launched facelifted compact electric SUVs — the EQA and EQB — to expand its electric vehicle (EV) presence here amid toughening competition against BMW and other local carmakers, the company said Wednesday.

The new EQA and new EQB EVs come with diverse updates from the previous models. The company spoke highly of their design upgrades, improved driving experience options and a set of other comfort features.

The Korean subsidiary of the German luxury carmaker also froze the prices for the two models so they could gain competitive advantages in the burgeoning entry-level EV market here.

Main competitors for the two small electric SUVs include the BMW iX1 and the Genesis GV60 electric SUV.

The new EQA, a front-wheel-drive model, offers a maximum output of 140 kilowatts (kW). The vehicle is also equipped with a 65.9 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, offering a domestic-certified range of 367 kilometers on a full charge.

The new EQB provides a maximum output of 168 kW and features a 65.9 kWh battery, which allows customers to drive the vehicle for up 302 kilometers on a single charge, according to a domestic certification standard.

“The new EQA and EQB have returned as more attractive entry-level electric cars with enhanced design, driving efficiency and convenience features,” Kilian Thelen, vice president of Product, Marketing and Digital Business at Mercedes-Benz Korea, told reporters during a press conference in Seoul. “We expect the two models to meet the high standards of Korean customers and solidify our brand’s position in the EV market here.”

Mercedes-Benz Korea expects the launch of the two facelifted models to defend against its falling EV sales. Data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association showed that Mercedes-Benz Korea was overpowered by BMW Korea in terms of EV sales for the first four months combined this year.

The local subsidiary of BMW sold a total of 2,109 EVs between January and April, up 39.8 percent from the previous year, but the figure for Mercedes-Benz Korea came in at merely 1,561, down 28.1 percent during the same period.