Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Källenius has previewed another upcoming electric model, a four-door crossover dubbed the EQA, at the launch of the second-generation GLA on Wednesday (Europe time).
When the EQA was first introduced as a concept vehicle at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, it was in the form of a three-door hatchback. But the latest teaser from Mercedes-Benz shows the EQA is now closer in form to the GLA.
“It’s definitely a love child,” said Källenius of the EQA as reported by Autocar.
With a release date expected sometime in 2020, specifications for the production EQA, which is one of 10 electric vehicles planned by the German luxury car maker by 2022, have not yet been announced.
Mercedes-Benz had previously indicated the twin motor EQA would be able to achieve a driving range of around 400km, powered by a “pouch” style lithium-ion with over 60kWh capacity.
It will likely come in weighing considerably less than its stablemate, the full-sized 2.4 tonne EQC 400 electric SUV with 353km driving range (WLTP) that was recently launched in Australia and houses 80kWh usable capacity in its under floor battery.
The crossover style body would also allow Mercedes-Benz more floor space to upsize the battery pack than if it stayed with the three-door hatchback, seen below in original concept form.
This, plus the lighter body, means that the EQA might indeed be able to achieve 400km driving range under the European WLTP rating standard, although depending on driving styles it may not equate to this in the real world.
Features that were first announced for the concept EQA and which are likely to be seen in 2020 include its production incarnation include the “Snow” and “Sport” driving modes we’ve seen in the EQC, as well as the updated MBUX user experience interface and double 10 inch displays.
Once available on the market, the EQA would likely go up against vehicles such as the $US51,000 ($A73,760) dual motor Tesla Model Y which may be available on the market as soon as Q1 2020 and is expected to have 450km driving range.
Before the EQA is released in 2020 it will be preceded by the new GLA, which will also be released with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain option.
A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz Australia told The Driven that a launch date will likely not be available locally until after 2020.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.