Starting this spring - when the first deliveries are scheduled across Europe and the UK – Mercedes-Benz's most affordable entry into the fully electric EQ family will be the all-new EQA. If it looks familiar to you, it’s because the new CUV shares a lot of traits with the second-generation GLA. Naturally, the main difference comes in the form of a 140-kW (188 hp/190 PS) zero-emissions powertrain that should enable a range of up to 486 km (301 miles).
Mercedes-Benz is just one of the many legacy automakers promising the impending arrival of the EV revolution, only to fall a bit short at the moment. We could name a few other manufacturers that tout their eco-friendliness but have just one series-produced EV to show for: Volvo with the XC40 Recharge, Chevrolet with the Bolt EV, or Ford with the Mustang Mach-E.
Well, 2021 is an inflection point for many of them, and Mercedes is at the forefront of the onslaught with the recent introduction of the EQA. It’s coming very soon – not after many months of waiting (we’re looking at you, 2022 GMC Hummer EV) – and European clients will start taking EQAs home starting in spring. The sole available version at launch, the EQA 250, is priced from €47,540.50 at home in Germany.
Before judging if a small Mercedes EV is worth around $57,640 (at the current exchange rates) and thinking how much more anyone will have to pay for the upcoming versions touting AWD powertrains (with 200 kW/268 hp of power or more) or more range (over 500 km/310 miles, WLTP), let’s check out what the new EQA brings to the EV table.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
For starters, we know that Mercedes is expecting the EQA to be a great sales success. The plan is for the small crossover to come out from the company’s factories in Rastatt (Germany) and Beijing (China), while its battery packs are being churned out as we speak by the Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Accumotive in Kamenz. Soon, there will be even more production locations, as the dedicated battery factory in Jawor, Poland, is just about ready to start delivering packs for the compact EQ.
“Progressive design and intuitive operation are two of the highlights of the EQA. With this car, for the first time we are offering our customers an all-electric Mercedes in the compact segment with an extensive range that ensures its viability in everyday use. As such, the new EQA is an important vehicle along our path towards the electrification of all our vehicle segments,” says Britta Seeger, the Mercedes Marketing and Sales boss.
That could be interpreted in two ways because the last time we checked out, the EQC was also part of the compact segment. Does that mean the EQA is better in terms of range and/or everyday use? That’s a question that remains to be answered, simply because the company decided to present the EQA’s range rating of 486 km/301 miles according to the old NEDC procedure instead of the more accurate WLTP.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
With rhetorical questions now out of the way, we can at least discuss the looks of the EQA. It does mimic the appearance of the GLA to an extent, but the closed-off grille, upgraded headlights (connected by a full-width LED strip), and slim taillights (also intertwined) bring new personality traits.
As far as Mercedes is concerned, the new member of the EQ family was created according to the “Progressive Luxury” styling creed, and its “electro-aesthetics” are also visible in the cabin through a “new-style back-lit trim element and rosé gold-colored decorative trim on the ventilation outlets, seats and the vehicle key.”
As per tradition, the EQA will become available as an “Edition 1,” adding a host of features, including perforated leather seats with embedded blue fabrics. Also, the car is getting EV-specific displays, and the instrumentation continues the EQ styling with rose gold and blue details.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
As with just about every EV out there, form also needs to follow function in order to achieve the highest-possible efficiency, so the EQA has a Cd value of 0.28, as well as a total frontal area of 2.47 squared meters (26.58 square ft.). That should make it easier for the 140-kW powertrain of the EQA 250 to achieve its factory performance credentials.
About that, they include a torque rating of 375 Nm/277 lb-ft, a zero to 62 mph (100 kph) sprint in 8.9 seconds and a maximum speed of 99 mph (160 kph). Other important values include the 66.5-kWh usable battery capacity, and the recharging times of 5:45 hours (AC) and 30 minutes (DC rapid charging). Mercedes also promises convenient and easy access to a huge network of chargers – 450,000 AC and DC points across 31 countries through the proprietary Mercedes me Charge.
Nothing seems to be missing from the electric crossover, from a modern heat pump to smart driving assistance systems or smartphone control via the Mercedes me App. If the pricing was matched to its ICE sibling, things would be almost perfect; a GLA 200 goes from €37,627.80 at home in Germany.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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