Mercedes has just unveiled the new EQA, the brand’s smallest EV to date and the entry point of the EQ model range. Based on the Mercedes GLA, the new EQA debuts in its base EQA 250 form which uses an electric motor with 187 HP and 375 Nm of torque driving the front wheels and fed by a 66.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Mercedes hasn’t finalized yet the WLTP test cycle of the EQA 250, saying it offers an estimated 426 km of driving range on a full charge. The NEDC driving range -which is generally more generous than WLTP- is 486 km.
The Mercedes EQA 250 will be followed by
more variants of the new compact electric crossover; the German carmaker says
that it’s working on “a whole family of EQA models”, which will offer front-
and all-wheel-drive, a power output of over 268 HP in the flagship variant, as
well as a special version with a driving range of over 500 km)on
the WLTP.
The Mercedes EQA shares the
same bodyshell with the GLA, with the new electric model featuring a black
panel “grille”, new full-LED headlights, new LED taillights that are now merged
with an LED strip, new bumpers, as well as new light-alloy wheel designs. And
since this is an EQ product, there’s a lot of blue details scattered around.
The story is similar once you step inside;
the new EQA shares the same dashboard layout with its ICE-powered sibling, only
here you’ll find different trim elements and light effects. The twin 10.25-inch
displays are optional, with base models getting a pair of 7-inch displays. The
cutout area in front of the passenger can be finished in a “spiral look” trim
which is backlit with the aid of fiber optics.
The infotainment system features
‘Navigation with Electric Intelligence’, which is able to plan the fastest
route with charging stops and can react dynamically to changes, like traffic
hold-ups. In addition, with the Mercedes me Charge, customers will have access
to a network of 450,000 AC and DC charging points across 31 countries,
including the Ionity network.
The new Mercedes EQA comes with an 11 kW
onboard charger as standard and can be charged with a maximum output of 100 kW
at a DC fast-charge station. Mercedes says that when plugged into a DC fast
charger, the EQA can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in around 30 minutes. The
battery pack comes with a heat pump as standard.
As standard, the new Mercedes EQA will
come with a comfort suspension with steel springs, but the carmaker will also
offer adaptive dampers as an option. More powerful variants of the EQA will
employ a second electric motor at the rear axle, therefore featuring
all-wheel-drive. The rear unit will be a permanently excited synchronous motor
while the front unit is an asynchronous motor, with the 4Matic system to adjust
100 times per second the distribution of the torque. Sales of the new Mercedes
EQA will begin in Europe this spring, with prices in its home market in Germany
starting from 38,540 euros (US$ 46,700),
including local rebates.