2022 Mercedes EQA Will Be the EV Sibling of the GLA-Class

 The smallest and most affordable Mercedes EV SUV is headed on sale later this year, at least in other countries.

MERCEDES-BENZ

• Mercedes-Benz EQA is the EV version of the GLA-Class, headed on sale later in 2021.
• EQA will have a NEDC range of about 300 miles and will start around $57,750 in Germany.
• Mercedes has not yet decided whether to offer it in the U.S.

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Mercedes-Benz took the wraps off its newest and smallest electric offering this week, unveiling the EQA compact SUV that will go on sale later this year, featuring a 66.5-kWh battery pack. Closely related to the GLA-Class and approximately the same size, the EQA will be powered by a front-mounted motor good for 187 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, on tap from the moment you press the accelerator.

Its other performance specs indicate that the EQA prioritizes range over performance: The EQA will jog from 0 to 62 mph in 8.9 seconds, and up to a top speed of 99 mph. So no ludicrous launch times and no ludicrous autobahn speeds either, even though Europe is where the EQA is headed, along with China. Its horsepower output also puts it a little below the gas-engined GLA 250, which may or may not be a priority for EV buyers, even though its torque rating is above the GLA's 258 lb-ft.

When it comes to range, the pocket ute has been rated at 486 kilometers in the optimistic New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), which translates to just over 300 miles. The model's WLTP range, however, feels more realistic at 265 miles, based on what we've seen with other EVs rated in multiple regions and given it battery size.

Whether we'll ever get an EPA range for this vehicle is a separate question, because Mercedes-Benz has not yet made a decision to offer the model here.

That's right: The EQA may well pass us by. It will have a starting price of €47,540 in Germany, including VAT and prior to the application of any incentives. This translates to about $57,800 if it were offered here, though without VAT it would be about $10,000 lower. It could land just around the $50,000 mark after the application of the federal incentive, which would put it... a little outside striking distance of other electric SUVs and crossovers of its size that are headed here this year from VW and Nissan. Of course, there'll be a premium for the three-pointed star, but that's not unusual per se.

It remains to be seen how the EQA could be range-rated in the U.S., if it makes it here, but the starting price seems right for its class and size.

If you'd still like a smallish Mercedes EV in the SUV wrapper, the good news is that the larger EQB is definitely headed stateside, and it'll be of several EV models that Mercedes will launch in the next year and a half, most of which will be of the SUV bodystyle. Just like its name suggests, the EQB will be about the size of the GLB sport utility, which itself debuted just a short time ago.