Drive with us: Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 Sport Review (2022)

How does Mercedes’ compact electric SUV stack up against its rivals?

The Mercedes-Benz EQA is a compact electric SUV that the German manufacturer hope will springboard the brand into a successful electric future.

Sitting below the stylish EQC and EQB , this smaller, more compact Mercedes offers a more affordable route into the growing EQ lineup.

Rivalling the likes of the Volvo XC40 Recharge, Tesla Model Y and the Volkswagen ID.4, it is up against some tough competition in a burgeoning sector.

For this latest car review, we’ve been testing the EQA 250 Sport to see how it compares against some of its competitors.

What did we drive?

Model: EQA 250 Sport

Transmission: Automatic

Power: Electric

Colour: Night black non-metallic

Wheels: 18" AMG alloy wheels

OTR: £47,510

Price of model driven: £47,510

*Prices correct at the time of publication

Price

On the Road prices for the Mercedes-Benz EQA start from £47,500 for this entry-level Sport edition. If you want to explore the top spec models, that price rises to just over £56,000. 

Compared to some of its rivals, prices for the Volvo XC40 Recharge begin at around £43,000, while the Tesla Model Y Long Range start at just under £55,000 – a sign of how tough Mercedes’ competition is within this class.

If you’re looking to pay a fixed monthly payment, a Mercedes EQA lease would cost you roughly £413 per month, ex VAT. 

Compared to Carparison's other electric car lease deals, there are big monthly savings to be had if you were to lease an XC40 Pure Electric or ID.4.

*Monthly payments correct at the time of publication and subject to change

Batteries & Power Units

The Mercedes EQA comes fitted with a 66.5kWh battery pack and depending the model you choose, you’ll get a varying degree of power output.

We were testing the 250 Sport, which had 190hp and 375Nm of torque. Outlined below are the performance figures you can expect from each edition of the EQA.

250 Sport: 66.5 kWh battery – 190hp – 375Nm – 264 mile range

300 4MATIC: 66.5 kWh battery – 228hp – 390 Nm – 267 mile range

350 4MATIC: 66.5 kWh battery – 282hp – 520Nm – 267 mile range

For a small price increase, the 300 4MATIC might be the pick of the bunch for your next Mercedes lease, offering that increase in power that will give the EQA that extra oomph.

Electric Range & Charging

The EQA has a claimed range of 264 miles, but throughout our time reviewing the car, we were averaging 3 miles per kWh, which would give a real-world of just under 200 miles.

This takes the shine off what was otherwise an impressive claimed range figure. There’s probably an extra 10-20% you could eek out of it with more frugal driving, but when you consider the ID.4’s claimed range of 320 miles (real world expected to be between 250-270) and the Model Y’s 331 mile range (real world expected to be between 280-300), the EQA’s performance doesn’t exactly set it apart from its rivals.

Things do improve when it comes to charging, however. Connect yourself to a 100kW rapid charger and your EQA will go from 10 to 80% in just over 30 minutes. Using a more traditional wallbox charger, a full charge will take around six hours.

Drive

The EQA was one of very few electric cars that I have driven where the first observation about the drive wasn’t its power.

From the offset, you can feel that it's a comfortable and easy car to drive. Part of that comes down to the Comfort Suspension that it’s fitted with, but you also get a tremendous amount of support and visibility from the driver’s seat.

The small windows on the C pillar ensure there isn’t an angle you can’t see, which helps the car feel nice and compact.

The power feels much like most EVs do, you have that instant hit of torque that pulls you away. However, the 190hp isn’t anywhere near Tesla levels of speed.

This can be improved, we were only driving the entry-level 250 edition, so there is more power if you want it. The 300 4MATIC offers 228hp, while the 3504MATIC makes a big jump to 292hp.

It didn’t feel like a car that needed it though. You also don’t have anywhere near the same amount of electric hissing that you can hear in some its rivals. It all plays into the notion that this is a family-friendly EV that is designed to cruise around in.

Quiet, comfortable and refined, it’s the perfect idyllic electric SUV.

Design & Interior

The EQA fits into the flourishing EQ range effortlessly and looks right at home in the wider Mercedes lineup.

The combination of styling cues taken from the much-loved GLA, with the addition of added electric styling and aerodynamic improvements make for an eye-catching design. It looks premium and luxurious without being over the top or ostentatious.

The interior design is dominated by the two infotainment displays and the attention-grabbing jet-styled air vents.

Having the ambient lighting running throughout the cabin adds another level of luxury to the cabin and with so much customisation, it’ll keep you entertained for a while!

I wouldn’t go as far as saying the interior is class-leading, but it feels very ‘Mercedes’. With the Artico leather finish, there’s a nice blend of materials and it’s a very comfortable place to be.

Space & Practicality

The EQA starts to feel the pinch when you get to the boot space. As a knock-on effect from its GLA underpinnings, it has lost around 100 litres of space from the combustion engine model due to added electrical components.

You have 340 litres of load space available and there’s no denying, that’s a considerable drop. But I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. There’s no load lip on the boot to contend with so getting suitcases or heavy luggage in and out will be so easy you won’t even notice.

The wide boot opening compensates for the smaller space and with just enough underfloor area to store your charging cables, it’s unlikely you’ll notice a huge difference when compared to the GLA.

However, if you're after an electric car lease, there are better options in this class when it comes to boot space. Unfortunately for the EQA, the ID.4 performs significantly better (543 litres), and the Tesla Model Y comes in at nearly three times bigger (854 litres)!

Despite having two sunroofs, headroom is very generous. Six footers and above will be very comfortable in the back of an EQA.

The sunroofs do a great job of opening up the cabin and creating a brighter and more open space without impacting headroom.

Mercedes decided to store the EQA’s batteries under the floor, which means it has been raised from the GLA’s. As a result, the rear bench sits quite low in relation to the floor, so though the legroom is very competitive, taller passengers might find themselves lacking the necessary support over longer journeys.

Technology

As infotainment packages go, the MBUX system is a competitive option that rivals the best in class.

The two 10.25” displays are crystal clear and hugely informative. They come with a good level of customisation too, so you can configure to your desire.

It’s more user friendly than what you find in an ID.4, which can take longer to become accustomed to. In the EQA, you have the choice of a small steering wheel track pad, the bigger touch pad on the centre console, the touchscreen, shortcut buttons or voice control. Something for every preference.

Voice control systems can be hit and miss, but providing your enunciation is on point, this one is pretty reliable.

Visually, you can argue it edges out BMW and Audi, but is perhaps still just lacking BMW’s iDrive offering as a complete package.

Safety

The EQA is officially one of the safest electric cars you can drive today. It scooped all five stars during its Euro NCAP safety tests, with a hugely impressive 97% and 90% score for adult and child occupants respectively.

The Safety and Assistance Systems included as standard on the 250 Sport include Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Speed Limit Assist and the Parking package with reversing camera – of which the quality was very impressive, with a clear and wide picture.

Model Lines & Equipment

Sport – from £47,510

• 18" alloy wheels
• Black panel radiator grille
• Comfort suspension
• Front and rear LED light band
• LED High-performance headlamps with Adaptive Highbeam Assist
• Mirror Package
• Polished aluminium roof rails
• Privacy Glass
• Ambient lighting
• Heated front seats
• Parking package with reversing camera
• Smartphone integration

AMG Line – from £49,010

In addition to/replacement of Sport

• 18" AMG alloy wheels
• AMG bodystyling
• Black panel radiator grille with twin-blade design in chrome
• AMG brushed stainless steel sports pedals
• AMG Sports seats
• Multifunctional sports steering wheel

AMG Line Premium – from £52,010

In addition to/replacement of AMG Line

• 19" AMG alloy wheels
• Electrically operated panoramic glass sunroof
• KEYLESS-GO Comfort package
• Advanced Sound System
• Wireless charging

*Model lines correct at the time of publication

Verdict

As a complete driving experience, the Mercedes EQA was very impressive. The cabin space and comfort levels are as impressive as some of its more expensive siblings.

The real-world range – as can be the case with EVs – fell short of the claimed range, which is one of few criticisms.

And though 200 miles is still a reasonable stint for any EV to cover, within this price point it does bring some of the more affordable rivals into contention. 

The plush materials and refined design does go some way to making up for that and if you're searching for a premium electric SUV, the Mercedes EQA ticks a lot of boxes.