Mercedes EQA – A big yes
This is what I have waited Mercedes to produce. The GLC was something different. A fully electric mid-sized Mercedes. But where some more exclusive car brands such as Mercedes have lost ground is with electric crossovers. The Kia E-Niro´s success is not only a fact, it proves that there is an unrelenting hunger for smaller sized electric vehicles, and this is where the EQA comes in.
Look at it as the electric GLA, but all new. Initially, the EQA 250 will come with a 66,5 kWh battery, which is an integrated part of the chassis. Fast charging allows up to 100 kW with 10-80 % in 30 minutes. Will X to 80 % be the new standard in battery charging?
190 hp and 375 Nm is plenty, giving a 0-100 km/h in 8,9 seconds. Power is sent through the front wheels and with this engine and battery combo, the range is 486 km (WLTP driving cycle). A 270 hp version with over 500 km of range and four wheel drive will be available in the future. From the press release it seems that there will not be different battery sizes to choose from. Instead, Mercedes will focus on optimizing components such as battery, electric motor, driving cycles and so on.
By signing up for me Charge, you get access to one of the worlds’ biggest charging networks. How big it is in Europe and how convenient the process of using it, will be interesting to see.
I don’t have to write about the exterior, since there are pictures for you to judge by yourself, but the design of the GLA can clearly be seen in the EQA. They are basically twins. Would Mercedes benefit from doing what Volkswagen did and go all out with a completely new brand identity with the i.d? Not sure, but I would like to see Mercedes be less restrained with the design.
Starting price is 47 540 euros in Germany, dead on the money as the Kia E-Niro. The 270 hp four wheel drive model will probably be in the same price range as the Volvo XC40 P8 AWD Recharge. Standard options are LED headlights with adaptive highbeam assist. “Luxury” seats. One of the first times I have actually read a car manufacturer directly writing it. Specific sport steering wheel. Some other standard options, that should not be something you brag about, are 18 inch alloy rims, reverse camera, and the latest MBUX infotainment system.
Getting a bit more technical, probably accelerated by Covid, all aerodynamic development has been done digitally, with final validation done in a wind tunnel. The result is a Cd of 0,28. Impressive for a crossover.
Thermal management has also become a very important part of electric cars. The EQA has a pump that directs excerted heat from the powertrain into the cabin, reducing the power needed to keep the temperature in the car, increasing the range. With more EQ models coming during this year, including the electric S class, although having a from the ground up new platform, the EQA is the second pure electric model from Mercedes. I believe this to be a better effort to make a model that people could consider. The EQC had a range that was far off what it claimed. I hope that isn´t the case with the EQA.