Mercedes-Benz EQA revealed

The Mercedes-Benz EQA has emerged ahead of the all-electric small SUV’s mid-2021 launch in Australia.

Joining the EQC as the second EV from the German luxury car brand, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA is based on the same platform as the current GLA-Class but swaps out a conventional combustion engine for a full-electric powertrain and has a variety of other unique attributes.

In the case of the EQA 250 variant that will launch first in Australia, the asynchronous electric motor produces 140kW/375Nm – comparable to the regular GLA 250 (165kW/350Nm) – and drives the front wheels through a single-speed transmission.

Mercedes says this is enough to send the EQA 250 from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds, on its way to a 160km/h top speed – hardly inspiring numbers that reflect the extra weight involved in packaging the zero-emissions powertrain into the existing platform, with the EQA tipping the scales at 2040kg.

This makes it about 370kg heavier than the GLA 250, for example.

Perhaps more importantly, the EQA 250 draws energy from a 66.5kWh ‘double-decker’ lithium-ion battery that enables a 486km range (NEDC) – or 426km when tested against WLTP protocols.

According to the car-maker, this driving range was aided by the vehicle’s low wind resistance, with the EQA – which has a 0.28Cd drag coefficient – said to be the first model from Mercedes-EQC whose entire aerodynamic development was undertaken digitally.

A variety of aero measures were employed, from the closed-off ‘black panel’ grille and redesigned front and rear aprons to the smooth and largely enclosed undercarriage, specifically adapted front and rear wheel spoilers and unique 18-inch Aero light alloy wheels in a bi- or tri-colour design. Rims up to 20” will be available.

Benz claims the EQA 250 can be recharged from 10 to 80 per cent capacity using a DC fast-charger (up to 100kW) in just 30 minutes, while a recharge from 10 to 100 per cent via an AC wallbox or charging station takes a claimed five hours and 45 minutes.

Australian pricing and specification details are still to be announced, but just as the EQC carries a hefty premium over the GLC-Class upon which it’s based, expect the EQA to do likewise.

Prices in Europe start from €47,540.50 ($A74,843), while in Australia it could come in close to the $100,000 mark.

Further variants are promised, including all-wheel drive models with a higher-output electric powertrain that produces at least 200kW, and a separate version that has a range of more than 500km (WLTP).

On the latter, Mercedes says that it “sees the key to a bigger range not in ever-larger batteries, but in systematic improvement in the efficiency of all vehicle components”.

As you’d expect, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 will come highly equipped in accordance with its price tag and positioning.

Among the headline features is an automatic anticipatory driving system, which sees the sat-nav calculate the fastest route based on charging times and the number of stops required for battery top-ups, along with other factors such as topography, weather, traffic conditions and driving style.

A heat pump is also integrated into the vehicle, using waste heat from the electric powertrain to warm up the cabin and reduce the draw on battery power that would otherwise be used for the climate control system.

In a further bid to maximise range, EQA drivers can pre-set cabin temperatures before entering the car via the MBUX infotainment system or Mercedes me app.

Mercedes’ usual high level of advanced driver assist safety tech (active lane keeping and braking assist, for example) and passive protective measures (at least seven airbags as standard) are integrated into the EQA, along with structural modifications that aim to ensure the EV performs as expected during a crash.

The battery, for instance, sits as a structural element within the underbody of the vehicle.

The car-maker claims “remarkable effort” has also been put in to ensure the EQA makes the grade in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) properties, with particular emphasis on “systematic isolation of the electric powertrain from the chassis and body”.

Apart from the aero elements, tell-tale signs that this is a member of the EQ family include a continuous horizontal fibre-optic light strip at both the front and rear. At the front-end the strip connects the daytime running lights housed within the full-LED headlight clusters, which also include blue strips in the main lamps.

The LED tail-lights similarly run into the tapered LED light strip at the rear.

Various design and equipment lines, such as Electric Art and AMG Line, have also been developed for the EQA to provide distinctive visual cues both inside and out.

A new feature introduced on the EQA is a back-lit interior trim element, while rose gold-coloured detailing can also be applied to the air-vents, seats and key fob.

An Edition 1 will be offered in a variety of markets, adding perforated leather seats through which a fabric in the signature Mercedes-EQ blue colour can be seen. This colour scheme is also applied to the instrument panel, which as you’d expect has a range of EV-specific displays relating to charging options, electrical consumption and energy flow.

The Mercedes-Benz EQA will be built in Rastatt, Germany, and Beijing, China.

At least two more full-electric models could join the EQA and EQC this year in Mercedes-Benz’s local stable, including the GLB-based EQB mid-size SUV and the flagship S-Class-based EQS luxury sedan. A variety of other EQ models are confirmed as in development, from sedans through to large SUVs, all built on Mercedes’ dedicated Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) that will be employed first on the EQS.