Mercedes EQA & egrave; the electric car of the 'big boys' volumes for the brand of the Daimler group that does not want to lag behind and is quickly catching up on a technological level. The next platform, that of the new EQS, will be; the forerunner of a dedicated generation but, in reality, part of the hardware and software technologies already; they work silently on the road.
Despite being an electric with a born mixed platform – same philosophy of the PSA quartet with the Citroen, DS, Opel and Peugeot brands – EQA embodies the present and the future of the brand, interpreting the role for which & egrave; was conceived: an electric transition .
- TECHNICAL SHEET
- ROAD TEST
- BATTERY, CHARGING AND REAL CONSUMPTION
- ADAS AND TECHNOLOGY
- PRICES AND INCENTIVES
- THE ALTERNATIVES
- VIDEO
I DON'T SHARE, BUT I UNDERSTAND
Who drives electric today tends to turn into a radical fundamentalist with the truth in hand; absolute. And I say this as a person who chose to switch to the fully battery car.
The truth is in the middle, especially in this phase: today not everyone is ready for the clear transition because & eacute; there is a natural transition period that must take into account habits and, why & eacute; no, driving style. Mercedes & egrave; a perfect example of a transition strategy in which a varied range is maintained (petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in) while paving the way for more diffusion; massive electric vehicles.
The EVA platform will be the flagship of the Daimler group and will host, in addition to EQS just entering production, also Mercedes EQE and the two SUVs, the electric equivalents of GLS and GLE. The Electric Vehicle Architecture will be joined by another platform designed for batteries, the MMA platform for the star's entry range.
The road to this future will be; studded with fascinating technologies: Mercedes announced the 1,000hp supercar with the Formula 1 hybrid and AMG has the E-PERFORMANCE in the pipeline with a compact battery to make electric geeks drool: 6.1 kWh in 89 kilograms of weight, cells with direct cooling, 150 kW of peak power and 70 kW of continuous power. It will be this is the basis of the sporty Plug-In Hybrid, not a range battery but one made to enhance performance while reducing emissions.
Why & eacute; so i don't agree but i understand? Why & eacute; if for me electric means breaking the mold, others simply want to be ferried in the change of power supply rediscovering the same driving sensations they are used to . And, in this, the electric GLA EQA responds perfectly to the appeal …
TECHNICAL SHEET 
EQA in fact proposes the successful recipe of GLA in an electron sauce with a sprinkle of lithium to & quot; salt & quot; the whole. If we compare it with other electric SUVs, we discover how it is actually the most; compact group as well as the one with the smallest battery. But the comparison is; you learn why & eacute; here the opponents have more; options in terms of kWh, Mercedes has (at the moment) only one.
Note that there will be; a version with increased autonomy : this EQA 250, with the due differences, is equivalent to the base that in the VAG group & egrave; represented by the 52 kWh net battery.
Mercedes si & egrave; found having to make a precise choice: to balance a car made to be a traditional SUV with its 20 cm of ground clearance rather than compromise in the space between the ground and the floor as done by all the others. The disadvantage is; clearly on motorway consumption where a low car (or that lowers like e-tron GT) can improve the distance.
Technical data sheet Mercedes EQA 250
- Engine : asynchronous electric, front-wheel drive
- Power : 140 kW (190 HP ) and 375 Nm.
- 0-100 km/h : 8.9 s
- Speed & agrave; maximum : 160 km/h (limited)
- Battery : 66.5 kWh net (warranty: 8 years or 160,000 km)
- Front suspension : MacPherson type with stabilizer bar
- Rear suspension : multi-link with stabilizer bar
- Tires : 235/55 R18
- Brakes : discs, self-ventilating front
- Weight in o. d. m .: 2.040 kg
- Trunk min/max : 340-1.320 liters
- Length : 4.463 mm
- Width : 1,849 mm (2,020 mm with mirrors)
- Height : 1,620 mm
- Pitch : 2.729 mm
- Steering diameter : 11.4 meters
- Declared range (WLTP) : 426 km in the combined cycle
- Declared consumption ( WLTP) : 17.7 kWh/100 km (combined cycle)
FIRST ROAD TEST 
The power is right if we consider that EQA 250 & egrave; the entry version in the range unlike the VAG group which starts from 100 kW. For Mercedes, it is about the electric of the transition: it does not depart from the driving style and performance to which the loyal customer of the brand is; used to it. Brilliant, of course, because & eacute; has 140 kW (190 hp) and more; torque of many of its competitors: 375 Nm.
From 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds, perfectly in line with the others if we exclude the Model Y in Italy only with Dual Motor. On EQA, the double engine starts from the EQA 300 4matic with all-wheel drive and 168 kW of power . EQA 350 4matic instead reaches 215 kW.
The height from the ground is; its strength and weakness . I appreciate because & eacute; & egrave; the best of the group for those who want to dominate the road (or off-road with the 4matic) and, in this, feel psychologically sure of having a visibility; even in the heaviest traffic; congested: among the many SUVs that circulate, in fact, remain & quot; low & quot; can & ograve; be a trauma , let me tell you about who & egrave; gone from an SUV/crossover to a sedan …
Defect because & eacute; makes it a little bit more difficult to manage when you want to force your hand: are you in a hurry or do you have a curvy road to have fun on? You will have to sweat a little more of the other electric SUVs that lower the light from the ground and wink at the world of crossovers but, in doing so, they manage to be slightly more; easy and engaging (for the category).
Security & egrave; however maintained: tightness and stability; are both insured, the battery pack & egrave; less invasive than others in load transfers and steering & egrave; very easy, suitable for any type of driver with extreme power assistance. It should be driven by SUV, without too many pretensions and accepting the roll when attaching curves in mode Le Mans despite being 20 cm from the ground.
Being a comfortable SUV was his intent, and in this the result is; achieved: excellent soundproofing , good absorption in the medium and varied bumpy, less soft in the single hole, dry and more & ugrave; deep.
Defects? Those typical of the sector markedly SUV, linked in part to the necessity; to be high off the ground: steering a little empty in the center and not very direct (albeit precise) and brake with which to take a minimum of confidence after having found the ideal setup using the vanes for regeneration. Alternatively you can & ograve; rely on automatic regeneration that uses radar.
The other defect concerns the habitability; of the posterior : when you have a battery in a floor and a car that still wants to be high off the ground, the risk is; forcing the knees of those sitting behind to bend more. Audi, albeit in another type of car, with the e-tron GT had solved by digging a “ pit for the feet '' in the floor.
BATTERY, CHARGING AND REAL CONSUMPTION 
The charging test is; postponed to a more test; thorough. In the meantime, with the data sheet in front of you, you can't; do not praise the fact that Mercedes EQA proposes 11 kW three-phase AC charging as standard while competitors also have 7.4 kW input options in the range. On the other hand, however, you have to be satisfied with 100 kW in direct current .
Battery charging times from 66.5 kWh they are soon said: in optimal conditions, 30 minutes to fill the battery from 10 to 80% and just under 6 hours to recharge it at home.
Even with performance far from EQS, the intelligence that works in the shadows behind battery management and charging is; encouraging. The navigator & egrave; adaptive, works with algorithms to calculate and optimize recharges based on the needs of the trip and the car & egrave; already ready to be able to renounce cards and apps such as EQC, by making the & quot; automatic & quot; login. Me Charge & egrave; the Daimler group's solution to simplify recharging: single account and roaming on all the main operators in Italy and Europe, in addition to the discount for Ionity recharges.
Trotting between cities, uphill curves, motorway, GRA and descent to the sea, EQA recorded a first figure on real consumption of 20.1 kWh/100 km , an interesting figure if we consider the type of car. The autonomy with a recharge in a mixed use is; then between 340 and 360 km depending on the foot, lower than the competitors but with the very valid extenuating circumstances mentioned above.
ADAS AND TECHNOLOGY 
By now the Mercedes most & ugrave; & quot; small & quot; they have nothing to envy to their big sisters in terms of ADAS, active safety, semi-automatic systems and technology. MBUX has democratized infotainment across the spectrum and its version with dual 10.25 '' displays, one for the fully customizable instrumentation and the other for the central menu, & egrave; now reached maturity. The system is fluid, without jamming, with an easy interface because set to tabs and with graphics that lead us immediately (and in a few clicks) to find the necessary function.
Where others force more click and nerve-wracking searches (or reading the manual), Mercedes guesses usability and maintains the customization with two views for each of the functions available in the instrument display. Here, then, there is; also the map with full screen map like this; do not miss the turn even when the passenger is playing with the central screen.
Mercedes, finally, benefits with two other great advantages: the voice assistant & egrave; one of the best both for understanding of natural language and for how it interfaces with the car. VAG could soon reach it in terms of controllable functions (for example the electric roof etc.) thanks to the OTA updates but it still has a long way to go.
The other merit is; the central controller : c & # 39; & egrave; a great touchscreen, there & # 39; & egrave; an excellent assistant (excellent for cars, discreet when compared with Alexa) and, in any case, the Germans insist on making me happy and many like me who want at least a central touchpad with the controls within reach of the central tunnel. The icing on the cake? The steering wheel controls are the best in circulation for the relationship between usability/ergonomics and intuitiveness .
At Mercedes, paying, you can & ograve; have the top of ADAS technology according to current regulations, the so-called Level 2+. EQA & egrave; actually a little more democratic because & eacute; already has a slightly more standard equipment; rich also in this respect. GLA charged blind spot monitoring, EQA 250 Sport (the entry level) already has it; along with Car-to-X, automatic high beams and speed limit detection.
A thousand euros (927.20 & euro; to be precise) and you can & ograve; purchase the basic driving assistance package, recommended (if not mandatory) for a modern car of this caliber.
PRICE AND INCENTIVES 
The price list is clever: first of all, the EQA 250 set-ups are all designed to be included in the EcoBonus with incentives of 6,000/10,000 & euro ;. In addition, the & quot; electrical & quot; equipment standard & egrave; good: 11 kW and heat pump .
EQA 250 Sport , basic set-up, & egrave; well equipped : electric tailgate, LED headlights with automatic high beams, 18 & quot; alloy wheels, digital instrumentation and MBUX infotainment (two 10.25 & quot; HD displays side by side), comfort seats, leather sports steering wheel, interior ambient lights, navigator, app and remote management (car and air conditioning), rear armrest, Car-to-X, adjustable lumbar support (also for front passenger), LTE module, 1 year of Mercedes me charge, blind spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, detection speed limits, front and rear sensors, anti-glare and electric rear-view mirrors, light and rain sensors, rear view camera, steering wheel levers, automatic climate control, ARTICO synthetic leather and fabric seats, 5 meter household cable (2.3 kW , single-phase 10 A) and Mode 3 cable, type 2 of 11 kW (three-phase, 16 A).
EQA 250 Sport costs 51.150 & euro ;, with incentives it goes down to 40,710 & euro; in case of scrapping. All the preparations proposed in Italy fall within the threshold set by the EcoBonus but, clearly, no one will be able to; benefit from the 40% ISEE incentive.
To whom & egrave; revolt? To those looking for a Mercedes SUV but want and can & ograve; embrace a new power supply: a GLA 220d Sport (reviewed here) of equal power and slightly lower standard equipment costs 45.347 & euro; …
THE ALTERNATIVES
EQA 250 & egrave; the entry-level motorization in the electric Mercedes range. The 4matic all-wheel drive & egrave; available on EQA 300 and EQA 350 and will arrive a version with increased autonomy . The German electric nevertheless clashes with the high range of other manufacturers, first of all Audi Q4 40 e-tron which can count on a bigger battery, more & ugrave; space in the cockpit but a light from the ground & quot; minus SUV & quot ;.
For how & egrave; was placed, even an ID.4 Life (49.150 & euro;) or Business (53.150 & euro;) can & ograve; potentially overlap with EQA (all the figures considered are those in the list, the incentives are the same for everyone).
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