Merc’s strong, silent type
EQA IS SUMPTUOUS, BUT GLA BODY HAS ITS DRAWBACKS
This week we have the MercedesBenz EQA, the company’s second pure electric car after the EQC that was launched a couple of years ago. And like the EQC the EQA is based on an existing model, in this case the GLA.
Lots of capital letters there, are you still with us? It’s important stuff though because when you turn an existing petrol or diesel car into a pure EV there are going to be compromises – and that’s very much the case here.
The GLA is a spacious car but once you’ve fitted a 480kg battery pack, room in the back is cut, as is luggage space. First, a run down on the hardware. Up front we have a 187bhp electric motor turning the front wheels. This is powered by the aforementioned battery pack which has a capacity of 66.5kWh.
Admirably, and unlike many other manufacturers, Mercedes is quoting net capacity which is what is actually useable, rather than a gross capacity.
Claimed range is 263 miles. Mercedes says that more EQA variants are in the pipeline with longer ranges (320 miles is being talked about) and also with fourwheel drive which means an extra electric motor. So even more weight. Our EQA 250 Premium Plus, which costs £40,495, weighs just over two tonnes which is why, with 187bhp, it doesn’t feel so quick.
The 0-62mph figure quoted is 8.9sec and the top speed is sensibly restricted to 99mph. Start hammering
along motorways at warp factor 5 and you’ll lose the time gained by speed in charging time.
Electrification is a great leveller. For example, the Kia e-Niro is £5,000 cheaper than the EQA 250 yet it has as much space inside and a slightly longer range.
What the Kia can’t give you is the sumptuous tech-laden interior the EQA provides.
Here you get exactly the same double screens, sharp graphics and control system as in the
GLA and other A-Class spin-offs. Easier to use than those fitted to VW’s I.D 3 and the latest I.D 4 SUV, the latter of which is another new rival for the EQA.
The 0-62mph time is misleading because the EQA does its more impressive sprinting between 10 and 30mph and tails off in urgency as you get nearer 60.
The car’s real forte is its silence. What the larger EQC lacked in driving excitement it made up for with the relaxing lack of noise, and it is the same story with the smaller EQA. At low speeds in town about the only noise you’ll hear is the obligatory whirr that alerts pedestrians to your presence. Very little wind noise on motorways either.
The EQA uses the multi-link rear suspension that is fitted to the posher versions of the GLA. Its advantage is it gives the EQA more precise handling and more accurate steering.
This is a two tonne car so don’t expect sports car reactions. The suspension could be set softer but the car is so well insulated against sound you might feel the odd bump over a pothole or ridge but you won’t hear a crash. Our car was fitted with adaptive dampers which as part of a £7,500 options package isn’t worth it, especially as the Sport setting spoils the comfort.
One of the EQA’s most effective systems is its regenerative braking. Either control it via the steering wheel paddles or simply use the auto setting which uses radar and GPS to recognise speed limits, traffic, corners and roundabouts. It works very well.
If you’re a serial Merc owner wanting to go electric, the EQA will slip into your life easily. For others, the lack of rear legroom and luggage space, and the price, will rule it out. Instead look at rivals built as electric from the ground up, like the VW ID.4 and Ford Mach E. They may not have the premium badge and interiors but they offer more significant advantages.
If you’re a serial Mercedes owner, it will slip into your life easily