![]() ![]() Not even the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator were out yet at that point, and the Lexus RX launched later that same year. The BMW X5 only launched two years later. That's when Mercedes rolled out the M-Class – its first luxury crossover SUV – at its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where its successor (today known as the GLE) is still made.ġ997 was long before most of its rivals got into the game. It had the G-Wagen, sure, but that was always considered more of a workhorse (like the Unimog) than a luxury sport-ute, and wasn't offered in North America for another five years. Another sign this is an adapted petrol car: a transmission tunnel running to the rear, rather than the flat floor a bespoke electric platform can deliver.Hard as it may be to believe today, there was a time that Mercedes didn't make crossovers. Only in a budget petrol car would a maker fail to get a designer or two to tidy this all up with a strategic plastic cover or two. The idea that battery cars are more simple and easier to service is harder to accept when you look at the insane jumble of wires, tubes, reservoirs and metal boxes sitting above the electric motor. With the EQA, there’s no storage in the nose instead it looks like they’ve crammed in an electricity substation. Open the bonnet of either and you’ll find a cargo area surrounded by smooth surfaces. Everything is sealed and hidden, the workings are mysterious. The purpose-built Tesla Model 3 and Porsche Taycan electric cars have better packaging, and a smartphone aesthetic. ![]() Instead, we have another adaptation of a petrol car, with the all the compromises that brings. High cost aside, why did the EQA leave me a little disappointed? Because the Concept EQA show car, which was supposedly a preview, suggested a much more adventurous approach with very different proportions. The EQA driving position is a bit van-like, which is one of the reasons the interior is commendably spacious, although the floor-mounted batteries intrude a bit at the rear compared with the car it is based on. The 350 4Matic is going to be very dear, though. This four-wheel drive version should provide a sportier drive and hopefully eliminate the mild but annoying torque steer found in the 250 (and in other front-drive electric cars, thanks to the instant torque). Performance will improve with the two-motor EQA 350 4Matic version, which goes on sale at the end of this year. The LED lighting treatment is echoed inside the spacious interior. In its most extreme setting you can manage close to one-pedal driving. The severity with which the regenerative braking cuts in when you lift off the throttle can be adjusted. Standard fitment adaptive damping provides a comfortable ride and does a good job of controlling all that weight. The output of 140 kW and 375 Nm gives decent performance around town, though the motor is pushing more than two tonnes and, after the initial sprint off the line, you can really feel the acceleration slow. Power comes from a single front-mounted motor with a 66.5 kWh battery pack, providing a range of 480 kilometres under the ADR standard and reasonably quick charging (from 10 to 80 per cent in 30 minutes on a fast charger). The LED lighting treatment is echoed inside. The Mercedes-Benz EQA 250 is the brand’s smallest SUV.Īlthough the bodywork is largely GLA, there is a redesigned nose, with a full-width LED lightbar above the blanked-off plastic grille, and equally fancy lighting at the rear to give a futuristic EQ family look. And it is quiet, even for an electric car. The new littlie certainly feels like a Mercedes, with all the solidity, high quality fit and finish, and reassuring active and passive safety features the company is known for. The company describes initial interest in the EQA as “overwhelming”. On sale from $76,800 plus on-road costs, it’s still far from cheap, costing noticeably more than the Tesla Model 3 (now from $59,900 plus on-road costs plus on-road costs) and above the limit for the NSW government’s newly announced $3000 EV subsidy (which cuts out at $68,000).īut there’s a large army of loyal Benz buyers, and their only fully electric choice until now has been to spend more than $140,000 on the bigger EQC. Mercedes has electrified its smallest SUV – the GLA – and created the cheapest battery-powered car in its range. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |