Mercedes EQA review - Electric motor, drive and performance
If you’re after comfort and refinement, then the EQA certainly delivers, but you’ll have to pay handsomely to access the extra pace of the more powerful versions
The roots of the EQA can be traced back to the GLA compact SUV and it would seem that Mercedes has prioritised comfort and refinement for its entry-level electric car, rather than aspiring to deliver too much in the way of sporting ability. Decent levels of regenerative braking mean that you can drive mostly with one pedal, which makes trips around town a little easier, too.
The EQA handles in a predictably safe and secure fashion, but the light steering lacks feel and the car is inclined to wallow through the twisty stuff. It means that keen drivers won’t particularly relish time behind the wheel, and based on our experience will be better served by the BMW iX1.
During our time with the EQA we also noticed a high-pitched whine under harder acceleration, which proved to be a minor irritation, while the throttle was sometimes difficult to modulate, meaning that achieving a constant speed in town traffic was harder than it should've been.
All EQA models come with Mercedes’ Comfort suspension, although there is the option of upgrading to the Premium Plus trim which features adaptive dampers to help deliver a more spirited drive. That said, this tech was fitted to one of the EQA's we've drove and it had little impact on the driving dynamics, so we’d question whether the top specification is worth the extra money.
Anyone that’s driven an all-electric car will probably appreciate the instant hit of torque and rapid acceleration from a standing start, and the EQA doesn’t disappoint in this regard – just don’t expect supercar-rivalling sprints off the line. For those seeking a little more sure-footedness on the road, the all-wheel drive 4MATIC versions will offer some appeal, although the front-wheel drive EQA 250+ feels more nimble and is the lighter option too.
0-62mph acceleration and top speed
The front-wheel-drive EQA 250+ variant produces 187bhp and and is capable of 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds. Moving further up the range, the 225bhp 300 4MATIC manages the same sprint in 7.7 seconds, while the top-of-the-range 288bhp 350 4MATIC is quite a bit quicker, taking just six seconds to complete the 0-62mph sprint. Regardless of which EQA you go for though, the top speed is 99mph.
