• Base EQA 250 fast enough for most tastes
• The 300 and 350 get four-wheel drive
• Only one-size battery pack

What power options are there?

The EQA comes with a choice of three electric power setups, one with a single motor driving the front wheels (that’s the EQA 250) and two four-wheel-drive models — the EQA 300 4Matic and 350 4Matic — which get an extra electric motor, driving the rear wheels.

The EQA 250 is, of course, the most affordable model and, with 190hp and 375Nm of torque on offer, it’s perfectly powerful enough for most needs.

As with any electric motor, the acceleration kicks in instantly, which makes the EQA feel very lively indeed at low-to-medium speeds, but that power does tail off quite quickly, and the on-paper 8.9-second 0-62mph time feels about right — neither especially slow nor especially quick.

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The more powerful 300 4Matic boots output to 228hp, but with 390Nm of torque, it’s actually not a huge advance in real-world conditions over the 250, although it does knock slightly more than a second off the 0-62mph time. The 350 4Matic is much more powerful with up to 292hp and 500Nm of torque, equalling a very brisk 6.0-second 0-62mph time.

Despite the modest claimed acceleration figures, keen drivers will enjoy the way the EQA can cover ground with surprising vigour. The almost noiseless flow means you have little sensation of speed, which might be worth noting if you’re not someone who watches the speedo like a hawk.

There are three regeneration levels (how much energy is recovered when lifting off the throttle) labelled Mild, Medium and Strong, and are controlled by a pair of particularly nice paddles behind the steering wheel. Strong offers viable one-pedal driving experience – lift-off and the car quickly loses speed.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Quiet, refined and easy to drive
• An excellent long-distance cruiser
• A bit of a handful on rough B-roads

As with many electric cars, the EQA is very easy to drive, with that instant acceleration and impressive refinement. In fact, it takes a little acclimatisation to avoid lurching away from the lights. You can blame that on a super-responsive accelerator pedal and relatively soft suspension.

That soft suspension does mean that the EQA is very comfortable in certain circumstances. However, on bumpy B-roads, EQAs riding on 20-inch wheels pitch and bounc almost alarmingly, unsettling what should be a very relaxing car, and potentially inducing travel sickness in your passengers. Shame, because it’s so unruffled otherwise.

Driver involvement is lacking, too, although that’s hardly a major criticism considering what it is. Overall, it’s quite dull to drive, and there’s little about its dynamic abilities that you’d call remarkable. Certainly, the far cheaper MG4 EV and Smart #1 offer far more satisfaction behind the wheel.

Around town, the EQA’s compact size means that it’s easy to use that low-down electric torque to nip into gaps that others might miss, but it’s not so small that it feels all at sea on the motorway. In fact, with well-controlled tyre and wind noise, it’s actually a very good long-haul cruiser.