Mercedes Benz will aggressively expand its electric vehicle (EV) portfolio across all major markets in the coming years. After launching a series of top-tier EVs in the past couple of years, the German marque will now bring out its first entry level EV in India. The company has announced the launch of the EQA electric SUV in India on 8 July 2024.
An all-electric equivalent of GLA, the EQA is one of the six EV launches by Mercedes confirmed for the Indian market by the end of this decade. The EQA coming to India is the facelifted model which made its global debut in August last year. The battery-powered SUV will be offered as a fully imported CBU model.
Mercedes Benz EQA: Expected exteriors
From the outset, the EQA looks familiar to Merc’s all-electric range, especially the blanked-off nose with gloss black panel featuring Mercedes’ signature star pattern and a full-width light bar at the front. It is flanked by sleek LED headlamps and headlined by an LED DRL strip stretching from one headlamp assembly to the other.
At the rear, the connected taillight assembly is the common factor. Other distinct visual attributes include aero-specific alloy wheels and tweaked front and rear bumpers. The silhouette, however, looks very similar to the ICE-powered GLA.
Mercedes Benz EQA: Expected interiors & features
Cabin interiors of the EQA also seem familiar to Merc’s current EV range with the star-studded pattern on the gloss black panel of the dashboard. It also houses the twin-screen setup featuring a digital driver display and a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. As expected, the turbine-style air con vents with blue inserts complete the visual aesthetics of a typical Mercedes.
The infotainment and instrumentation run on the latest EV-specific MBUX software. Other novelties offered include a touch-capacitive three-spoke steering wheel, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, powered front seats, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, a Burmester sound system with Dolby Atmos, etc. Safety features on offer include multiple airbags, electronic stability control, front and rear parking sensors and ADAS.
Mercedes Benz EQA: Expected powertrain specs
In international markets, the EQA comes in four variants— EQA 250, EQA 250+, EQA 300 4Matic and EQA 350 4Matic— with different battery and motor configurations. The 250 and 250+ develop an identical 188 bhp and 385 Nm of torque. The EQA 300 dishes out 225 bhp and 390 Nm while the 350 develops 288 bhp and 520 Nm.Â
EQA 250, 300 and 350 come with a 66.5 kWh battery pack while the EQA 250+ is offered with a larger 70.5 kWh unit. The SUV offers a range of up to 560 km (WLTP) on a full charge with the 70.5kWh unit and up to 528 km (WLTP) on a single charge with the 66.5 kWh unit. We expect Mercedes to offer the EQA in the all-wheel-drive formats with the 4Matic system.
