Photo: Dennis Rozyk via Instagram
If you didn't hate crossovers and SUVs, prepare to do from now on. When Mercedes-Benz introduced the EQA Concept, it looked like a stylish hatchback that could become the A-Class of the future. Then market trends took over and we ended up with the current EV Mercedes is testing, which looks like any other crossover out there.
Daimler will have a good explanation for it. It plans to make the EQA a global product, and what other body style is appealing all over the world? A hatchback? It's only the Europeans and the Japanese who go crazy over them. A sedan? They still sell decently, but the numbers are on a steady drop. Coupe? Not on your life. That only leaves one option, and Mercedes-Benz took it with both hands.
The real challenge now is making the EQA more competitive than the EQC was. A lot more competitive. Initial info on the upcoming EV doesn't sound great: the compact crossover is said to receive a 60 kWh battery pack, which is 20 kWh less than the EQC and 15 kWh than the Tesla Model 3. Volkswagen's ID.3 will also offer a 77 kWh option, though we expect the 60 kWh one to make up the bulk of the sales.
So, it's not great but not bad either - it all depends on how well Mercedes-Benz manages to optimize the powertrain. Considering the rumors say the EQA is likely to get a dual-motor configuration, it doesn't sound very encouraging. Sure, it'll eclipse its European competitors' performances, but the added weight and an extra motor to sip electrons will take a toll on its range. And range is what matters most at this point. Plus, it's not like it's going to have a great aerodynamic coefficient with that shape, is it?
Speaking of shapes, perhaps it's time to talk about the rendering proposed by Dennis Rozyk (@rozykdesign on Instagram). The author names it the "Mercedes-Benz 190EQC," but all we see there is the way the EQA should have looked like. Sure, maybe that hood is ridiculously long for an electric vehicle (unless you desperately want to beat Tesla's frunk for capacity), but the front fascia looks just perfect.
It's different enough to let everyone know they're looking at a special vehicle, and yet it's familiar enough to let everyone know they're looking at a Mercedes-Benz. It's also very EQ-like, but in a much more pleasant way than the fiasco that is the EQC. The quality of the rendering starts to degrade as you move further away from the front, culminating with that awkward angle of the roofline just behind the door, but we're ready to forgive anything thanks to that excellent snout. We can only hope somebody from Mercedes-Benz is taking notes.
The real challenge now is making the EQA more competitive than the EQC was. A lot more competitive. Initial info on the upcoming EV doesn't sound great: the compact crossover is said to receive a 60 kWh battery pack, which is 20 kWh less than the EQC and 15 kWh than the Tesla Model 3. Volkswagen's ID.3 will also offer a 77 kWh option, though we expect the 60 kWh one to make up the bulk of the sales.
So, it's not great but not bad either - it all depends on how well Mercedes-Benz manages to optimize the powertrain. Considering the rumors say the EQA is likely to get a dual-motor configuration, it doesn't sound very encouraging. Sure, it'll eclipse its European competitors' performances, but the added weight and an extra motor to sip electrons will take a toll on its range. And range is what matters most at this point. Plus, it's not like it's going to have a great aerodynamic coefficient with that shape, is it?
Speaking of shapes, perhaps it's time to talk about the rendering proposed by Dennis Rozyk (@rozykdesign on Instagram). The author names it the "Mercedes-Benz 190EQC," but all we see there is the way the EQA should have looked like. Sure, maybe that hood is ridiculously long for an electric vehicle (unless you desperately want to beat Tesla's frunk for capacity), but the front fascia looks just perfect.
It's different enough to let everyone know they're looking at a special vehicle, and yet it's familiar enough to let everyone know they're looking at a Mercedes-Benz. It's also very EQ-like, but in a much more pleasant way than the fiasco that is the EQC. The quality of the rendering starts to degrade as you move further away from the front, culminating with that awkward angle of the roofline just behind the door, but we're ready to forgive anything thanks to that excellent snout. We can only hope somebody from Mercedes-Benz is taking notes.
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