The 2022 Mercedes EQA is the German automaker's electric offering in the compact SUV segment. It's essentially Mercedes' answer to the Tesla Model Y, and one of many electric cars coming out of Stuttgart right now.
While the car isn't expected to come to the United States anytime soon, it still offers some impressive specs for a relatively affordable price. We're not talking EQS levels of performance, it still has a good 300 miles of estimated range and all the luxury and hi-tech features you'd expect from a modern Mercedes.
Here's everything you need to know about the Mercedes EQA.
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2022 Mercedes-EQA price and release window
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to the EQA’s availability. The good news is that it rolled onto European dealership lots earlier last spring. According to the Mercedes-Benz UK website, prices for the EQA start at £44,495.
Given the current exchange rate, that equates to roughly $62,026. Our sister-site Techradar reports the top-of-the-line EQA 350 AMG Line retails for £49,995 or approximately $70,000.
Here’s the bad news: The EQA is not available in the United States right now. There’s a silver lining, though. Car and Driver says Mercedes is considering bringing the EQA over here, and its expected sometime in 2022.
If that happens, the publication estimates the EQA will carry an MSRP of approximately $57,000. Keep in mind, available federal and state tax credits would potentially bring that starting price considerably lower.
2022 Mercedes-EQ EQA design and interior
As its name implies, you can think of the EQA as the electric version of the GLA compact SUV. It has the same basic look and general dimensions as its internal combustion sibling, but features design changes in key areas that help differentiate the two models. A solid black panel fills in the once-open space behind the one-bar grille and Mercedes star emblem.
Above that is a strip of fiber optics that connects the daytime running lights. Blue highlights inside the LED headlight casings further hint that the EQA is not your average gas-powered Mercedes. There’s a more noticeable lighting change on the rear liftgate, where a lightbar stretches from one end to the other to link the taillights in a continuous strip of illumination.
If those changes aren’t distinctive enough, the EQA’s wheels will leave no doubt about its identity. They’re available in two- and three-tone finishes and go up to 20 inches in diameter. Some styles even come with rose gold or blue accents.
The EQA’s interior is more subtle in delivering its message. Depending on configuration, the EQA may have rose gold trim on its key, climate system vents and seats, as well as blue and rose gold highlights on the instrument and infotainment screens. The launch year Edition 1 model has seats with perforations that expose blue fabric underneath.
2022 Mercedes-EQ EQA driver aids and safety features
The MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) system handles all infotainment functions and requests. Navigation with Electric Intelligence provides the fastest route to a particular destination while taking into account changes in traffic or driving style and factoring in necessary stop-offs for charging the battery.
Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Brake Assist are standard across the range of EQA models. Mercedes offers a Driving Assistance Package with features that issue a variety of warnings. These alert the driver to a pedestrian or cyclist approaching when they open their door, for example. If the EQA comes to the United States, don’t be surprised if it’s offered with something like the GLA’s Driver Assistance Package, which includes Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Change Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist in addition to a long list of other technologies.
2022 Mercedes-EQ EQA battery, range and performance
The entry-level EQA 250 is powered by an electric motor and a 66.5-kWh battery pack. Output is 187 horsepower and 277 lb-ft, which the EQA 250 routes through its front wheels. Taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent full should only take 30 minutes on a 400-volt DC fast charger.
Mercedes crunched the numbers and determined the EQA 250 can cover about 300 miles in New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) testing. Expect a different, possibly lower figure from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if Mercedes decides to sell the EQA here in the states.
These are early days for the EQA. Expect Mercedes to broaden the range, possibly with a model that offers a longer driving range and one with 268 horsepower and all-wheel drive.
While the EQA 250 is torquier than its gas-powered sibling, it’s still no AMG. It needs 8.9 seconds to get to 62 mph and hits an electronic wall at 99 mph.
2022 Mercedes-EQ EQA outlook
Just as the regular Mercedes lineup has done, the Mercedes-EQ family of vehicles will expand over time. An EQE sedan and EQE SUV are coming eventually. So is an SUV variant of the EQS. Time will tell if we get any sort of EQA model here in America.
