2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA review: EV has been hiding in plain sight

You might have seen Mercedes’ futuristic new SUV without even knowing it as its subtle styling hides what is lurking beneath.

2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA.

Mercedes-Benz’s newest electric SUV has been hiding in plain sight.

The EQA brings zero emissions motoring without the out-there styling of similar machines, making the transition from petrol to electricity much more palatable.

Here are five things you need to know about the Mercedes-Benz EQA.

YOU WOULDN’T PICK IT AS ELECTRIC

Some car makers want to make a big statement with their new EVs, so they go for styling that’s different to your olde worlde internal combustion engine car or SUV.

The nerdmobile – Nissan’s Leaf being a prime example – and the futuristic techno-wow transformer look – think Jaguar iPace – are two distinctive EV designs.

It is hard to tell that the Mercedes-Benz EQA is an electric vehicle.

But Mercedes’ EQA250 looks like just another version of the GLA compact SUV, because that’s what it is.

You wouldn’t know it’s an EV until you push the start button and wonder why it’s not making any noise.

IT’S A BRAND

While BMW has its “i” brand and Volkswagen the “ID”, Mercedes has adopted EQ – a wordplay on IQ – to denote its EVs. The last letter references a connection to Mercedes’ normal model lines.

The GLC-based EQC that arrived in 2019 was Merc’s first EV; the EQA is the second. Also in the works are the EQS limo, an electrified equivalent of the S Class, the EQB, EQE and others, with eight EQ variants scheduled by the end of 2022.

Mercedes says that by 2030 half its total production will be pure EVs.

EQ is Mercedes-Benz’s new electric car brand.

IT’S EASY TO DRIVE

There’s nothing difficult about driving the EQA. In fact it’s easier than a petrol car and in many ways better, especially in town.

It’s much more responsive at low revs, for example, because the electric motor delivers maximum torque the moment it starts to spin.

It’s almost silent and completely vibration-free. You don’t have to worry about being in the wrong gear, either, or wait for a gear change when you’re in a hurry, because there is one gear only. Squeeze the accelerator, go. Release it, stop. It’s as easy as that.

In normal driving, you don’t have to use the brakes. When you lift your right foot, the electric motor becomes a generator, sending power to the battery.

This regenerative function can also operate as an adjustable brake and with practice you can drive using the accelerator pedal alone. There are conventional brakes too, of course, but unless you need to stop in big hurry you don’t need to use them.

There isn’t much different inside, either.

SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

An EV’s power consumption is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) or how many kilowatts of power the vehicle uses in one hour. Just like a petrol or diesel car, this depends upon how much power the motor requires and how leadfooted you are. EQA’s claimed power consumption is 16.2kWh, which in theory gives it a range of a little more than 400km from its 66.5kWh battery. You can go close to that in town, where the battery is being constantly recharged by regenerative braking and you’re driving slowly. At highway speeds, EVs use much more power and get minimal regenerative braking assistance. Our EQA250 averaged 25.8kWh on the freeway, giving it an effective range of about 260km, considerably less than a petrol vehicle.

The EQA costs about $7000 more than the equivilent petrol version, which is excellent by EV standards.

THE PRICE OF PROGRESS

EQA250 costs $76,800, compared with $69,776 for the 2.0-litre turbo petrol GLA250. Seven thousand bucks buys a lot of petrol, but the EQA is also a more luxurious, comfortable SUV, with that cone of silence refinement only an EV can deliver.

It’s not a sports car, though. Drive goes to the front wheels and it weighs two tonnes. The 0-100km/h sprint takes a leisurely 8.9 seconds.

Standard equipment is comparable, with Mercedes all-digital dash and voice-control smarts both included, along with extensive driver assist safety. The back seat is an uncomfortable knees-up affair for adults, because the floor is elevated to accommodate the battery underneath.

An “Edition 1” with extra bling and a few AMG bits, costs $84,100.