Mercedes-Benz EQA 250+
- Basic price: 505,900 (incl. costs).
- Price test car: 713,998 (incl. costs).
- Engine/driveline: 70.5 kWt battery, 190 hp/385 Nm, single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive.
- Range/consumption: 560 km, 500 km (test car)/14.5 kWh/100 km
- Charging speed: 100 kW
- Length/width (with mirrors)/height/ground clearance: 446/202/161/15 cm.
- Baggage volume: 340/1320 litres.
- Weight/payload: 1970/425 kg.
- Trailer weight/roof load: 750/75 kg.
- 0-100/top speed: 8.6 sec./160 km/h
- Wheel: 235/45R20
- Competitors: Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX1, Tesla Model Y, Volvo EX40, Volvo EX30
In the queue of electric cars that can function as a family car, with a starting price of around half a million, we find the Mercedes EQA.
The model came on the Norwegian market in 2021, and well over 5,000 Norwegians have since then chosen a new EQA. This makes the model the brand’s second most popular in the period, after the EQC.
Update
Initially not so difficult to understand, a Mercedes for half a million can tempt many, and now the EQA has received a mid-life update, some of which are cosmetic.
Outside, there have been stars in the grill, painted wheel arches, new rim options and new innards in the rear lights.
66 point
Mercedes’ smallest and cheapest model, and the one they now sell the most in Norway. The starting price of approximately half a million opens the door to the German star brand, and a premium level when it comes to interiors. However, the extra equipment is expensive, and there are many other larger and more practical cars in the price range.
Comfort
7/10
Very good sitting comfort in the front seats, and still class-leading suspension comfort. Pleasant noise level. But the back seat pulls down. The low seat cushion provides zero thigh support for adults and a low sitting height for children. Clear screens, but some swipe and touch functions are more fiddly than user-friendly.
Design
6/10
Got stars in the grill and painted wheel arches, but can’t hide that the starting point is a fossil car. A bit bulky and inelegant on the outside, but the car suits the blue colour. Inside, you will find the well-proven screen plank, and a generally high perceived quality, but many other cars feel more modern.
Driving characteristics
6/10
190 horsepower and a weight of two tonnes make the EQA a fairly sedate electric car. The driving modes help if you want a more nimble feeling, but it’s not a sporty car. On the positive side, the car never struggles to handle the forces, even if it only has front-wheel drive.
Environment and consumption
8/10
A larger battery gives around five miles longer range, up to 56 miles according to WLTP, which gives more room for maneuver on long trips and stands up well against the competition. Uses a lot of power on the motorway, but at lower speeds it is kind with the energy.
Equipment
8/10
It is basically well equipped, and there are several equipment packages that are adapted to the customers’ usual wishes. At the same time, it can be surprisingly expensive if you get a little lost in all the options. The test car, with six different packages, adjustable dampers, panoramic sunroof and so on, is way too expensive.
Practical
3/10
Little luggage space and no frills. Ski hatch in the back seat gives some flexibility, but there is something close to small car level in the space. 750 kg trailer weight is of some use. The version with four-wheel drive can tow 1,800 kilograms.
Price
3/10
Competes in terms of price with significantly larger and more family-friendly cars, and quickly becomes 100,000-150,000 more expensive cars that are both more spacious and modern. There is something extra about having a Mercedes, but the price you have to pay is high. The much larger Tesla Model Y Standard Range is significantly cheaper.
Operating costs
8/10
A service agreement over three years/45,000 km. costs NOK 15,900, but then expenses for typical wearing parts are added. Mercedes is in the upper price range, but has shown with its model range that they also deliver good quality in electric cars, so this is financially predictable.
Safety
9/10
Has five stars in Euro NCAP. Mercedes has good driver support systems, even in the smaller models. As with all other cars, it occasionally misses the speed limit and phantom braking can occur, but in the big picture a safe car.
Second-hand value
8/10
Seems to hold up well on the used market. The first vintage, 2021, is for sale for just under NOK 400,000. Mercedes is traditionally a popular used brand and an electric car from this brand is no exception. A very chaotic new car market, with price wars, is an element of uncertainty.
Inside is the latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX, new steering wheel, upgraded sensors that will provide better driving assistance, wireless Apple CarPlay and Dolby Atmos.
These elements make the car somewhat nicer to look at, and in other words, the technology is a bit sharper than before.
Read all of Motor’s new car tests:
Bigger battery
But the most important thing, probably, is that the car in the EQA 250+ version has a larger battery and a redesigned spoiler on the tailgate which gives the car a better range.
The battery capacity has increased from 66.5 kWh to 70.5 kWh. Previously, the EQA 250 had a stated range of 494 kilometres, while the test car, which is an upgraded EQA 250+, has a range of up to 560 kilometres. Or that is to say that it basically has it, but the tires and equipment on the blue test car mean that the range is six miles shorter.
It will clearly take a lot of careful driving to achieve that number as well, but over 40 miles of driving without thinking about consumption should go well.
Motorway consumption
In previous range tests, we have run EQA with consumption figures that are lower than stated, this time it was a little different. The reason is that the long journey also took place on motorways with 100 and 110 speed limits.
Here, the EQA, like many other slightly upright cars, is exposed to a lot of air resistance when the speed increases. Then the consumption increases. After 65 miles, the average was 1.89 kWt per mile.
At the same time, it feels quite unproblematic, the car goes more than far enough that you need a break anyway before the battery runs out.
Smooth charging
At the charging station it is not very fast, the maximum charging speed is 100 kilowatts, but if it stays at the maximum speed for a long time, to around 50 per cent, then it falls and is around 70 kilowatts when you pass 80 per cent.
This means that the car receives a good amount of energy all the way, in addition, the battery is smaller than in the large SUVs, so the charging time is not long for many cars that have a higher stated charging speed.
On the road, the EQA is comfortable, the test car has adjustable dampers, and it copes well both in bends and on slightly rough asphalt. The test car’s wide winter tires produced a good deal of wheel noise, but no more than in other cars of the same size.
Not sporty
An annoyance is the brakes. Several times we experienced that the transition from regeneration to brake was missed. There is a dead stop before the brakes suddenly come on. This occurs when you have to slow down a bit quickly. It must be said that it does not feel unsafe, it is only a matter of a moment, but it is a bit frustrating.
In normal mode, the car is quite light on the steering wheel, but you can tighten up the driving experience somewhat by putting it in sport.
But the EQA is far from a sporty car. In fact, it’s one of the slowest electric cars we’ve driven.
Duff
Zero to hundred is stated to be 8.6 seconds, far behind many other current models. Now it can be argued that this would have been quite good just a few years ago, but today EQA feels daff.
Overtaking must be planned well in advance.
LAVT: Med batterier under, bygger gulvet høyt, det gjør at det er for liten avstand fra sitteputen til gulvet." alt="" />KJENT OG FUNKSJONELT: Dashbordet er slik det har vært i Mercedes' biler i mange år. Funksjonelt, men ikke av de mest moderne lenger." alt="" />SYNES: Noen biler skjuler luftventilene, det er ikke tilfellet i EQA 250+." alt="" />The EQA can tow 750 kilos on a trailer, but on top of that not a more practical car. The luggage compartment of 340 liters is at least made, and frunk does not exist.
The design of the back seat is also a challenge for adults. The battery in the floor builds so high that there is a sharp angle in the knees. The seat cushion is simply too low. At the same time, this means that smaller children will have little visibility.
Easily accessible isofix pulls up.
Not common sense
However, there is nothing to say about the perceived quality. In terms of size, there are few other models that feel as luxurious as the EQA. Now it should be added that the test car has a lot of extra equipment, and is therefore able to mislead, but we know the car from more simply equipped examples, and Mercedes builds quality.
Perhaps the very extroverted air vents in the cabin are not to everyone’s taste, but the atmosphere itself is premium.
In any case, it is difficult to recommend an EQA if common sense prevails. The starting price may be okay, but equipment sends the price sky high and, in terms of size, it competes with cars that are far cheaper.
What speaks for it is that it is a Mercedes, and that it is the cheapest car with a star on it.
JEVN: EQA 250+ er langt fra en av de raskeste på ladeplassen, men den lader jevnt." alt="" />EN GRILL FULL AV STJERNER: En av de kosmetiske oppgraderingene på Mercedes EQA 250+ er «grillen» som er spekket med stjerner." alt="" />
