► Mercedes EQA gets a tickle for 2023
► Update increases range to 348 miles
► Fresh styling inspired by larger EQ cars
Mercedes has refreshed the EQA for 2023 in a bid to maintain the car’s appeal alongside its competitors from Audi and BMW. It’s a hard-fought market, though – the best electric SUVs have loads of technology, eye-catching styling and exciting performance. Since it was launched, the EQA has been decidedly average in its field, so this update could inject a welcome dose of attraction.
Changes to the Mercedes EQA’s bodywork are led by both form and function. To make all its EVs look like they were cut from the same cloth, the EQA now shares the same front end as the EQE and EQS saloons. However, Mercedes has also made a host of aerodynamic tweaks to the EQA to eke some more miles from its battery pack. So, the rear wheel arches have been reshaped and there’s a fresh spoiler integrated into the rear light bar.
Mercedes has also fitted the EQA with a fresh set of low rolling resistance tyres and a new range monitoring function that can suggest the optimal speed to travel at to extract the most amount of range from its battery. The result? Maximum range for the EQA 250+ has increased from 324 to 348 miles.
What else has changed?
Lots of little things. There are two new paint finishes and four new alloy wheel designs, in sizes ranging between 18 and 20 inches. Mercedes has also added its fancy open-pore wood dash to the EQA’s options list and fitted the SUV with same steering wheel as its most recent electric cars.
Mercedes has made a load of changes to the EQA’s equipment, too. The car’s parking sensors are a little more powerful, its optional Burmester stereo now features Dolby Atmos surround sound tech and its 10.25-inch infotainment system is now compatible with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Merc says its digital assistant is also a little better at learning the driver’s speech patterns and remembering their common driving routes.
In addition, Merc has added four new ‘Sound Experiences’ that are designed to fill the aural void left by the missing petrol engine. They’re called Silver Waves, Vivid Flux, Roaring Pulse and Serene Breeze. And no, we haven’t got the faintest idea what they’ll sound like. Leave your suggestions in the comments. Frankly, we’re not interested unless they’re soundbites of Merc’s old AMG V8s.
What powertrains are available with the EQA?
You have a choice of four. The entry-level EQA 250 features a 66.5kWh battery and a single electric motor with 188bhp and 284lb ft of torque. It has a maximum range of 328 miles. Above that, there’s the EQA 250+, which features the same electric motor but a larger 70.5kWh battery pack that increases the SUVs maximum range to 348 miles.
Stepping up again, there’s the EQA 300 4MATIC. As the name suggests, it has four-wheel drive, courtesy of two electric motors churning out 225bhp and 287lb ft of torque. It can sprint from 0–62mph in 7.7 seconds but, because it’s powered by Mercedes’ smaller 66.5kWh battery, it can only cover up to 285 miles between charging stops.
The fastest model in the EQA range is the 350 4MATIC. It also has two electric motors – but they’re slightly more potent, churning out a combined output of 288bhp and 384lb ft of torque. That’s enough to slash the car’s 0–62mph time down to six seconds flat.
Every version of the EQA comes with 100kW DC rapid charging as standard, which is enough to charge the car’s smallest battery from 10–80% capacity in just 32 minutes. The bigger battery takes 35 minutes to achieve the same state of charge. When plugged into a 7.4kW home wallbox, it takes between nine and 10 hours to completely recharge.
Much like the EQC, the EQA has Eco Assist, which uses navigation and traffic sign data to gauge how much brake regeneration is required at a given moment, and the navigation also takes into account charging times to give you as accurate a time as possible to get to your destination.
Luke Wilkinson is a Senior Staff Writer for the Bauer Automotive Hub. He spends his time writing news, reviews and features for CAR magazine and its sister site, Parkers.