Both models, the Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB, boast a maximum five-star rating in independent Euro NCAP crash tests. When comparing the safety of used cars, however, it is essential to consider the overall context and the specific year these tests took place. The Euro NCAP methodology is constantly evolving and becoming more stringent. For this reason, percentage results from different years cannot be directly and simply compared – newer testing protocols place disproportionately greater emphasis on advanced active safety systems, sophisticated cyclist detection, and complex vehicle behavior scenarios at intersections.
The smaller Mercedes-Benz EQA earned its five-star rating according to 2019 testing standards, with its certification based on the results of the structurally related B-Class and GLA models. In the area of passive safety, the car absolutely excels – adult occupant protection was rated at an impressive 97%, and child protection reached 90%. Protection of vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists) scored a solid 81%. In the safety assist systems evaluation, the car achieved 75%. This score fully reflects the level of active features at the time, which, while reliably preventing many collisions, may no longer respond to today's highly strict requirements for enhanced hazard detection.
The larger family SUV, the Mercedes-Benz EQB, is almost identical in terms of safety. Its 2021 rating falls organizationally and methodologically under the same 2019 testing protocols, as Euro NCAP confirmed structural similarity with the GLB model. From the crash tests, the EQB took away an excellent 95% for adult protection and 91% for child protection. Pedestrian and cyclist protection was rated at 78%, and for safety assistants, the EQB achieved a result of 74%. For both models, it should be noted that the certification comes from the 2019 protocol and its official validity has already expired on the current market according to the strict rules of the Euro NCAP organization. However, the physical passive safety and the strength of their bodies remain at an absolutely first-class level from the perspective of someone interested in a roughly four-year-old used car.
The overall comparison shows that whether you choose the more compact EQA or the more spacious EQB, you will get a very safe car. Since both cars share the same technological foundation and year of testing standards, their ability to protect the occupants during the impact itself is essentially identical. The EQB leads slightly in child protection, while the EQA has a slight edge in adult and pedestrian protection. However, the differences are so minimal that in everyday traffic, both models offer an equally confident and comprehensive safety standard that certainly does not need to be ashamed of, even by today's standards.