Mercedes has pulled the covers off the all-electric EQA, a member of the successful compact car family from Mercedes-Benz.

Closely related to the GLA compact SUV, the EQA delivers all the characteristics of a compact vehicle, combined with a highly-efficient electric powertrain. The car has a range of up to 426km (WLTP) combined with strong fast charging capabilities to ensure fuss-free everyday usage.

With a 'double-decker' lithium-ion battery that has an energy content of 66.5kWh, which sits as a structural element within the underbody of the vehicle, charging time via a 100kW fast charger will take 30mins for the EQA to reach from 10% to 80%. Wallbox charging, which can reach a maximum of 11kW, will take approximately six hours for the car to be fully charged up to 100%.

The EQA is being launched as the EQA250 AMG Line with 140kW (187bhp) and 375Nm of torque. This allows the car to accelerate to 100km/h from nought in just 8.9 seconds. Singapore can expect to see other variants of the car, including Progressive Line, Electric Art and Edition 1.

Design wise, the electric compact SUV features a black panel radiator grille with the central star that is the hallmark of Mercedes-EQ. It also gets distinctive design features such as the continuous light strip at the front and rear, and also a horizontal fibre-optic strip that connects the daytime running lights adorning the full LED headlamps, ensuring a high level of recognisability both in the day and at night.

On the inside, the EQA offers a high seating position - as typical for an SUV - making it not only easy for ingress and egress, but also good all-round visibility. It also has a functional luggage capacity of 340 litres. Knock the rear seats down and the space expands up to 1,320 litres.

On first glance, the car's cabin looks like a regular SUV from Mercedes' lineup, which is to say it isn't any radical. Still, the screens within also appear to be ultra-crisp and offer an array of displays and graphics.

Active Brake Assist is available as standard with the EQA250 here. This system works to prevent a collision by autonomous braking, or to mitigate its consequences.

And with the EQA being on the basis of the robust structure of the GLA, its body was adapted to meet the particular demands that face an electric car. For instance, a battery guard in the front area of the battery is able to prevent the energy storage unit from being pierced by foreign objects. Naturally, the EQA had to go through the brand's very thorough crash test programme.

For buyers of the EQA, Mercedes-Benz will be offering an extensive service, which includes a 10-year or 150,000km service package, whichever comes first. The carmaker will also include a free wallbox installation.