2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA revealed: New Tesla Model 3 rival capable of more than 500km range

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the next car in its EQ electric family, the GLA-sized EQA small SUV.

The EQA will join the EQC mid-size SUV which launched last year in an expanding electrified Mercedes lineup, but will globally launch with just one variant, the EQA 250.

This launch variant boasts a 140kW/375Nm electric motor output, backed by a large 66.5kWh battery pack which grants it a WLTP-certified range of 426km. Mercedes says further variants will be launched down the track, including a higher-performance version with over 200kW of power, and a special long-range version with more than 500km of WLTP-certified range. The EQA 250 is front-wheel drive, but the brand says all-wheel drive versions will follow.

Future all-wheel drive versions will feature a second electric motor at the rear axle, which the brand says will allow torque to be fully adjusted between either the front or the rear “up to 100 times a second”.

The EQA wears a WLTP-standard consumption figure of 17.7kWh/100km, which is close to the Nissan Leaf or Hyundai Kona Electric (both 15.3kWh/100km). Mercedes says it is able to keep this efficiency figure down thanks to the EQC’s low-drag design granting it a drag coefficient (Cd) value of 0.28.

EQAs headed for Australia will be built in Rastatt, Germany.

EQA variants which arrive in the Australian market will be equipped with the European-standard Type 2 CCS charging port for both DC and AC charging. The EQA has a maximum high-speed DC charging rate of 100kW allowing a 10-80 per cent charge in 30 minutes. Its onboard AC converter allows charge at a maximum rate of 11kW, granting a charging time from public charger or wallbox of five hours and 45 minutes.

The EQA is also equipped with an ECO Assist feature that can tweak the amount of regenerative braking on the fly depending on various road conditions, or the driver can adjust the amount of regeneration manually.

While the EQA uses the GLA’s platform as its basis, the German brand says it has enhanced the car’s underpinnings to better protect the battery and electrical systems in the event of a collision. The EQA, even in base 250 form, will include auto emergency braking and lane keep assist systems.

Mercedes’ Australian representatives confirmed the EQA will arrive in our market some time in the middle of 2021. Pricing and specs are yet to be confirmed, but European market versions of the base 250 launch variant will include full LED exterior lighting, full RGB LED interior lighting, an electrically operated tailgate, 18-inch alloy wheels, and dual MBUX screens (in either 7.0-inch or 10.25-inch size) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as a fully customisable digital instrument cluster.

The EQA's interior will largely resemble that of the GLA, but with its own electrified twists.

The cabin design largely mirrors that of the GLA-Class small SUV, with the EQA sporting its own trims and texture designs. Boot space comes in at a VDA-rated 340-litres, 105 litres down from the petrol-powered GLA 250 equivalent. The EQA 250 is also capable of towing, but with a maximum capacity braked or unbraked of 750kg. Mercedes says higher towing capacities will be available on future all-wheel drive variants.

Stay tuned as we inch closer to the mid-year launch window for the entry-level Mercedes electric car.