A RELATIVE BARGAIN
Mercedes’ latest SUV offering puts electric motoring within reach of more customers
There are two kinds of electric car. Some, like the new Mercedes-Benz EQA, simply replace petrol engines and fuel systems with batteries and electric motors. Others, such as Tesla’s Model 3, are designed from the ground up as dedicated electric vehicles.
Based on the latest GLA-class crossover, the new Mercedes-Benz EQA has a lot in common with its conventionally powered twin. Its classleading interior is fundamentally the same, as are the underpinnings and looks.
This car wears the glossy black grille facade and subtle blue highlights of Benz’ electric EQ range, but could otherwise be mistaken for a petrol-powered model.
The approach helps put the most affordable electric Mercedes yet within reach of more customers.
Priced from $76,800 plus on-road costs (about $81,000 drive-away), the EQA 250 costs just $4000 more than the equivalent GLA 250, or $18,000 more than the cheapest petrol GLA.
In the world of electric cars, the EQA is $13,000 more than the cheapest Tesla, but close to half the price of Mercedes’ EQC, which sells for about $150,000 drive-away.
The last part will be the clincher for Mercedes customers loyal to the brand.
While $81,000 drive-away is a lot of cash, it might feel like a bargain to folks who want to combine electric motoring with Benz luxury.
Inside, the EQA is loaded with twin 10.25inch wide-screen displays, wireless smartphone charging and clever features such as Mercedes’ voice-activated driving assistant.
You get faux leather seats with front heating and electric memory adjustment, 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, smart keys and a powered tailgate.
Safety kit includes a driver assistance package with auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane keeping assistance and much more.
Customers can also add a sunroof for $2300, or an AMG sports pack with 20-inch wheels for $2950 – just like a petrol Benz.
The big difference is under the bonnet, where you find a 140kW/375Nm motor driving the front wheels through a single-speed gear.
A 66.5kWh battery provides about 400 kilometres of range.
Capable of accepting electrons at a 100kW rate, the EQA can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in about 30 minutes at rapid-recharge sites.
The same charge takes 4.1 hours using an 11kW wall box kit, or 25 hours with a regular
three-pronged plug at home. The big battery adds 500 kilos to the GLA’s bulk, pushing the small SUV’s weight over the two-tonne mark.
As a result, the EQA doesn’t have the agility buyers might expect from a compact Mercedes. It feels weighty on the road, with a fair amount of body roll and a firm ride that can feel jarring at low speed.
Weighty steering offers quick responses to driver input but the motor’s two-wheel-drive layout means the front rubber is overpowered from time to time.
A more powerful all-wheel-drive model due before the end of the year will fix that.
Brake regeneration is tricky if you leave the EQA in a standard setting that uses the car’s collision avoidance radar to judge the distance to other vehicles and dial up an appropriate amount of electric motor resistance. The clever system helps boost range, but means the brake pedal responds differently according to your surroundings and battery charge.
We turned it off after a few kilometres in favour of more predictable responses.
While it doesn’t drive like a sports car, the EQA’s motor has a refinement you won’t find in cheaper cars. There is minimal whining from the engine, and wind noise is kept to a whisperquiet minimum.
The EQA delivers much of the refinement Mercedes customers expect and its ties to the regular GLA help keep its price in check, making it more luxurious machine than other sub-$100,000 electric vehicles.