Compare the2024 Volvo C40 RechargeVS 2023 Mercedes EQB

Both the C40 Recharge and EQB have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The C40 Recharge Ultimate has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The EQB’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The C40 Recharge has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The EQB doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The C40 Recharge has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The EQB doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The C40 Recharge has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EQB doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The C40 Recharge has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The EQB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The C40 Recharge’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the EQB.

Both the C40 Recharge and the EQB have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the C40 Recharge its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EQB has not been tested, yet.

The C40 Recharge’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the EQB’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the C40 Recharge for 4 years and 40,000 miles. Volvo will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EQB.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 4 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The C40 Recharge has more powerful engines than the EQB:

As tested in Car and Driver the Volvo C40 Recharge electric motors is faster than the EQB 350:

On the EPA test cycle the C40 Recharge gets better mileage than the EQB:

The C40 Recharge can travel longer on a full charge than the EQB on a full charge:

For better stopping power the C40 Recharge’s brake rotors are larger than those on the EQB:

The C40 Recharge’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the EQB are solid, not vented.

The C40 Recharge Core’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EQB’s standard 55 series tires. The C40 Recharge’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the EQB’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the C40 Recharge Core has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the EQB. The C40 Recharge’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the EQB.

The C40 Recharge has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The EQB’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For better maneuverability, the C40 Recharge’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the EQB’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The C40 Recharge is 9.6 inches shorter than the EQB, making the C40 Recharge easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The C40 Recharge has .8 inches more front shoulder room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the EQB.

The C40 Recharge has a much larger cargo volume than the EQB with its rear seat up (15 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the C40 Recharge’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The EQB doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the C40 Recharge uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The EQB doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the C40 Recharge to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The EQB doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the C40 Recharge has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the EQB only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The C40 Recharge offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The EQB doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The C40 Recharge has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the EQB. The C40 Recharge also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the EQB.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo C40 Recharge has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the EQB.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the C40 Recharge second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The EQB isn’t in the top three.