Mercedes-Benz EQA Review, Specs & Performance

Overview of the Mercedes-Benz EQA

ENGINES AND PERFORMANCE FOR THE MERCEDES EQA

The Mercedes EQA has a 66.5kWh battery that will return 263 miles of range on one charge. This makes it an attractive opportunity for company car drivers because of its Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate of 1%.

The battery can be recharged to 80% of its capacity in around 30 minutes using a fast charger. If using a home wall box, then a 7kW charger will take 11 hours.

The car's power comes from one electric motor for the entry-level model, while the more powerful EQAs get two electric motors, one on each axle. The entry-level model develops 188 bhp and torque of 375Nm. There are two other versions that develop either 225 bhp with torque of 390Nm, or 288 bhp with torque of 520Nm.

Those are impressive figures with the more powerful EQA sprinting from 0 to 62 mph in just six seconds. All versions have a top speed of 99 mph.

EQUIPMENT AND HANDLING FOR THE MERCEDES-BENZ EQA

The contract hire Mercedes EQA is not only a quiet and relaxing place to spend time, it also has a more premium look and feel than the price tag warrants.

It's based on the GLA platform and offers an SUV that has a very quiet cabin.
The suspension helps deliver a rewarding drive, it's comfortable when cornering and the steering delivers good feedback. There's the option of having adaptive dampers which will smooth out rough roads - and it's a choice that will return a more rewarding drive when in 'Sport' mode.

The cabin also feels much more spacious than the exterior dimensions would suggest, and it has a futuristic look too. The materials are plush and the design impresses - the dashboard has excellent night-time illumination. There's a pair of 10.0-inch display screens - one for the infotainment and the other for the digital instrument display - and a natural-language voice activation system that's easy to use.

Around town, the EQA is easy to drive despite the size, and depending on the model the list of equipment includes aluminium trim, sport seats, a panoramic sunroof, 19-inch alloy wheels and keyless go. Other models feature 20-inch wheels, a 360° camera view, a Burmester stereo and a head-up display.

The EQA lease range also received five stars in its Euro NCAP crash safety testing with standard safety kit including blind spot warning, active lane-keeping assist, active speed limit assist and autonomous emergency braking. Satnav is also standard, and the system will calculate a route that will incorporate the best charging points if necessary.

There's even an emergency call system onboard that will contact the emergency services should it detect the car has been involved in a collision.

The Mercedes EQA AMG Line adds the sporty AMG body kit, illuminated tread plates and a gloss black radiator grille - though electric cars don't actually have a grille, it's a piece of strong plastic. Drivers also get brushed stainless-steel pedals, AMG sports seats and floormats as well as a Nappa leather multifunction steering wheel.

Essentially, the contract hire Mercedes EQA is an impressive all-electric SUV that is spacious, well-equipped and offers a rewarding drive. For those who are thinking of switching to a stylish battery-powered vehicle, then this one certainly needs shortlisting.