Mercedes-Benz Eqb250 vs Land Rover Defender

What's the difference?

Iconic/gangster G-Class Geländewagen aside, is there a cooler-looking Mercedes-Benz SUV than the GLB and so – by association – its electrically-powered EQB twin?

And while we're asking questions, does the electric connection make the EV version even more so?

Let’s take a deeper dive into the new EQB – a striking SUV that Mercedes reckons will be its bestselling EV for the foreseeable future. Because there's much more to this Benz than meets the eye.

This feels wrong to say this, but it’s so refreshing not to be driving an electric vehicle. There I said it.

After testing so many EVs lately reviewing a car that has an actual engine is a nice change. And this car definitely has an internal combustion engine - it's the Land Rover Defender Octa Black with a twin-turbo petrol V8.

The Defender Octa is the ultimate form of the 110 Defender. It’s wilder looking, more powerful and more capable, while the Black edition adds darkened elements inside and out for even more visual appeal.

While the Defender Octa Black is special, it’s not alone in a world of high-performance luxury SUVs and its head-to-head rival would be Mercedes-AMG’s G63.

I had the Defender Octa Black for a week and while I didn’t take this beast off-road where it is superbly capable, I put it to the test on some challenging tarmac as well as some challenging real-world family duties.