Launched in 2021, the EQA is Mercedes-Benz’s very first fully electric compact SUV – and it’s probably its most elegant electric car, too. Design and performance are the priorities here, making it a visually stunning, handy-sized city explorer. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for EV leasing options. 

Key highlights

Unlike the EQS, which was the first Mercedes-Benz EQ vehicle to be built on the new electric platform, the EQA was built on the same older platform as the GLA. This makes the two remarkably similar, both inside and out; same body, same bumpers, same interior layout. While taking an existing model and slapping a battery in it may not seem like a ‘highlight’ as such, anything that even broadly resembles a GLA is something that’s worth getting excited about. Rarely has a car offered ease and comfort like the GLA. 

Another standout element of the EQA is that it was built at the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt factory. Rastatt is a sustainable manufacturing plant that cut its carbon emissions by more than 50% in just 8 years. If becoming environmentally friendly is a driving force behind your interest in electric car leasing, you can choose the EQA with confidence. You’ll know that it’s made in one of the most sustainable factories in Europe. 

Performance & range

While the Mercedes-Benz EQC is the electric model most often celebrated for its performance, the EQA actually manages to outperform it in terms of range. In fact, with 264 miles to a single charge, the EQA’s range is second only to the more recent EQS. It also gets from 0-62 mph in just 6 seconds, making it an impressively nippy town car. Rapid charging takes 30 minutes, with slow charging taking under 6 hours. 

Tech specs

292 BHP (215 kW)

66.5 kWh lithium-ion battery

99 mph max speed

1320 litre maximum storage capacity

5 seats

Similar models

If you’re set on leasing a Mercedes-Benz EV, then along with the EQA, EQS, and EQC, there’s also the EQV. But as a 7-seater people carrier, it doesn’t have many physical similarities to this compact SUV. The MBUX infotainment system and technology, however, remains the same. 

If you’d prefer something of a similar size that handles in much the same way on the road, the BMW iX, Volkswagen ID.4, and Volvo XC40 are perhaps the closest models to consider. These all fall somewhere in between the more condensed models, like the Kia Niro, and the bigger models, like the Tesla Model 3.