The all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQA has broken cover early.
Originally set to be revealed this year, the EQA is now expected to lob early in 2021.
It’s expected to offer a choice of a single electric motor and front-wheel drive set-up or a dual-motor all-wheel drive variant.
Autocar reports an AMG-fettled EQA is also a possibility, which could match the performance of the new GLA45 S.
While the upcoming EQS range-topping sedan rides on an all-new dedicated electric car platform, the EQA uses the MFA II front- and all-wheel drive architecture shared with the more traditionally powered A-Class, B-Class, GLA, GLB, and CLA ranges.
Images of the GLA-based electric SUV have surfaced on Instagram, published by serial leaker wilcoblok, revealing its conservative exterior.
Up front, the SUV appears to have a similar grille and headlight design to the larger EQC. The lights look neatly integrated into the gloss black fascia, and it’s likely an LED light bar will span the car’s front end.
The air intakes on this particular prototype have been closed over, given there’s no internal-combustion engine to cool. Whether this is the production bumper isn’t yet clear.
Down back, the tail lights are very similar to those of the GLA crossover, but the lower rear bumper has a unique finish. There’s chrome trim where the fake exhaust pipes would usually sit, and plenty of black cladding.
There’s a cover for the charge port where the fuel filler flap would usually sit, as you’d expect of a pure-electric car.
Mercedes-Benz GLA 
Mercedes-Benz EQA
Mercedes-Benz is aiming to have electrified vehicles – including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles – account for more than half its sales by 2030 and to have a CO2-neutral fleet by 2039.
The German luxury marque isn’t alone in rolling out a fleet of electric vehicles. BMW will soon introduce its iX3 and iNext SUVs, with i4 and i7 passenger cars in the works based on corresponding ICE-powered models.
Audi will begin production of its shapely E-Tron GT next year, based on the Porsche Taycan’s J1 platform.
