Mercedes-Benz EQA 250+ review: Bang for the buck

Mercedes-Benz EQA 250+, the German luxury carmaker's latest electric offering in India, comes with a price tag of ₹66 lakh (ex-showroom), making it the least expensive model in Merc's electric vehicle line-up.

The EQA 250+ comes with a 70.5 Kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack that uses LFP cylindrical cells and offers a claimed range of up to 560 kilometres (WLTP cycle), higher than its rivals including BMW iX1 and Volvo XC40 Recharge.

The single-motor setup powers the front wheels and delivers 188 bhp and 385 Nm of torque, enough to throw one's head back onto the head restraints once you press the accelerator. Since this is a completely built-up unit (CBU) imported from Germany, there are no irritating speed alert beeps once you cross the speed of 80 kmph. The EQA can accelerate from standstill to 100 kmph in 8.6 seconds. Its top speed is limited to 160 kmph.

Maximum range can be gained with the eco mode. There is also a comfort mode for everyday commuting and a sport mode for a more powerful ride. The EQA can be fast charged from 10% to 80% using a 100 kW charger in 35 minutes. Mercedes offers an 11kW home charger which takes 7 hours and 15 minutes to fully charge the battery from 0-100%.

There are three levels of regenerative braking modes—normal, strong and maximum—which can be changed with the help of paddle shifters. The maximum regen is ideal during bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The EQA shares its platform with its ICE counterpart, the GLA. But what sets it apart is the signature piano black panel grille with several small stars and a big three-pointed star at the front, identifying the EQA as an electric Mercedes-Benz. Like other EVs from Merc, the EQA gets a horizontal DRL that connects the headlamps and there is an LED light strip which converges into tail lamps at the rear. The EQA also gets 19-inch alloy wheels with AMG badging.

Inside the cabin, the EQA gets two 10.25-inch screens, turbine-shaped vents in rose gold, illuminated door sills, a Burmester sound system with 12 speakers, a heads-up display, seats made of recycled PET bottles, USB-C charging ports and a wireless charger. The dashboard in front of the co-passenger gets a backlit star pattern.

The augmented reality navigation feature that shows a live view in front of the car on the central display is useful as it guides the driver on where to turn with the help of arrows. The EQA also offers a gesture control function with the help of a camera in the overhead control panel. Both the driver and front passenger can use gestures to activate saved commands.

At the rear, the floor is raised because of the battery pack underneath. Taller passengers may find themselves in a knees-up position. There is also an armrest with cup holders in the backseat which is not in the GLA.

There is no frunk or front trunk under the hood and no spare tyre in the boot. Mercedes has provided a kit to seal minor tyre damage caused by shards or nails.

On safety, the EQA is rated 5 stars by Euro NCAP. There are seven airbags including a knee airbag for the driver.

While there are a lot of questions around electric vehicles as nobody has witnessed the full life cycle of an EV, Mercedes does a decent job in alleviating some concerns around the resale value. Mercedes is offering a residual value guarantee of 67% via its assured buyback programme at the end of four years of ownership if the car is financed through its financing arm. This residual value guarantee is similar to what Merc offers for ICE cars. Mercedes claims the EQA’s total cost of ownership is at least ₹5,000 less than the GLA if one drives 2,000 km every month under the buyback scheme. For those who'd want to keep the car, Mercedes offers an 8-year warranty (up to 1,60,000 km) for the battery.

Mercedes-Benz has sold over 1.3 lakh units of the EQA globally. The German carmaker is targeting young buyers in India who have a household income of ₹1 crore. Armed with the brand value of the three-pointed star, the EQA could well emerge as the biggest EV sales driver for Mercedes-Benz in India.