Mercedes-Benz EQA vs Volvo EX30

What's the difference?

The EQA is clearly a big step forward for Mercedes-Benz and the premium segment in general, with the EQA 250 offering compelling real-world range in an attractive package, although it is relatively expensive.

And for those buyers that like a little extra oomph, it will be worth waiting for the EQA 350, which will deliver much more spritely straight-line performance. Either way, the EQA should be taken seriously.

Volvo has taken a bit of a risk because I'm not convinced that the EX30 knows who its audience is. However, our Twin Motor Performance Ultra test model is well-specified and the overall owner experience (from driving, usability and ongoing ownership costs) is great. This is a fun car and it looks super cute.

Externally, it’s pretty easy to pick the EQA out from the GLA and the wider small-SUV crowd thanks to its unique front and rear fascias.

Up front, the EQA’s LED headlights are linked by a more expansive, albeit closed, grille as well as an LED light bar, to give off that seriously futuristic look.

But around the side, the EQA could be mistaken for another GLA variant, with only its unique alloy wheels, ‘EQA’ badge and some chrome trim helping to separate it from the pack.

That said, at the rear, there’s no confusing the EQA for anything else, as its bespoke LED tail-lights stretch from side to side to cut quite the striking impression, while the ‘Mercedes-Benz’ badge and number plate are repositioned.

Inside, though, you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the EQA and GLA. Indeed, differentiation is only really achieved if you option the AMG Line package, which comes with unique backlit trim for the dashboard.

That said, the EQA is still a very nice place to be, with the premium feeling heightened by the soft-touch materials used on the dashboard and door shoulders, while the armrests are also comfortable.

Speaking of which, while Artico synthetic leather upholstery covers the armrests and seats to push the EQA’s sustainability story, Nappa leather (read: real cow hide) ironically trims the steering wheel. Make of that what you will.

The EQA makes a strong statement, though, with its conjoined 10.25-inch displays, with the central touchscreen and digital instrument cluster powered by Mercedes-Benz’s now-familiar MBUX multimedia system. Yep, it’s still arguably best in class.

The EX30 is gorgeous. It has an interesting shape that makes it look larger than it is and it's unique enough to attract users who might not love the Volvo aesthetic.

You can still see that it's part of the Volvo family with its crisp pleating in the panelling and 'Hammer of Thor' LED headlights, but its look is new and fun.

Large Volvo badging is framed by rectangular LED lighting at the rear and our test model's Cloud Blue paintwork is offset by a sporty black roof and frameless side mirrors.

The interior aesthetic is very pared back - think simple and classic lines, no buttons or dials and large air-vents.

The dashboard is headlined by a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, which also houses all of the info you'd expect to see on a digital instrument cluster because there's no head-up display or cluster in this model and it does take a while to get used to.

At first the simplicity is a bit too much to wrap the head around but once you do, the interior is incredibly intuitive to use and as a driver, it felt a little Zen-like.

There are four interior design choices Breeze, Mist, Pine and our test model's Indigo which couples 50 per cent recycled denim jeans for its accents, a grey and blue Nordico (synthetic fabric) upholstery and lots of recycled soft/hard plastics in various tones of blue and greys.

To be honest, the materials didn't always work for me but the cabin is still pleasant to look at.

Measuring 4463mm long (with a 2729mm wheelbase), 1834mm wide and 1619mm tall, the EQA 250 is on the larger side for a small SUV, although its packaging is compromised by its battery.

For example, the EQA 250’s boot has a below-average cargo capacity of 340L, which is 105L less than that of the GLA. That said, it can be increased to a more respectable 1320L when the 40/20/40 split-fold rear bench is stowed.

Either way, there’s no load lip to contend with when loading bulkier items, with the boot floor staying flat, no matter the storage configuration. Better yet, two bag hooks, a strap and four tie-down points are on hand for securing loose cargo.

And yes, while the EQA 250 is an all-electric vehicle, it doesn’t have a froot or frunk. Instead, its drivetrain components completely occupy the space under the bonnet, alongside some other key mechanical bits and pieces.

In the second row, the EQA 250’s compromises once again come to the fore, with the raised positioning of the floor leading to occupants more or less squatting when seated on the bench.

While under-thigh support is sorely lacking, nearly 6.0cm of legroom is available behind my 184cm driving position, while a couple of centimetres of headroom is on offer with the optional panoramic sunroof fitted.

The small central tunnel also means passengers won’t really be fighting over precious footwell space. Yep, the rear bench is wide enough that three adults will be able to sit abreast on a shorter journey.

And when it comes to young kids, three top-tether and two ISOFIX anchorage points are on hand for fitting child seats, so the EQA 250 can very much cater for the whole family (depending on its size).

Amenities-wise, the second row has a fold-down armrest with two pop-out cupholders, while its door bins can take another bottle each. Then there’s storage nets on the front seat backrests, and air vents, a USB-C port and a small cubby at the rear of the centre console.

In the first row, things are even better, with the centre console featuring a pair of cupholders, ahead of which are a wireless smartphone charger, a USB-C port and a 12V power outlet. And then the large central bin contains an extra two USB-C ports.

Other storage options include the decently sized glove box, while a staggered three bottles can fit in each of the front door bins. Yep, you’re unlikely to die of thirst in the EQA 250.

The cabin up front features plenty of leg- and headroom as well as cleverly designed storage options.

The rear row is surprisingly comfortable for space behind my driving position but I'm only 168cm tall and it might get squishy if you're behind taller front occupants. It's best to think of this car as a four-seater for adults though, the middle seat is an emergency seat.

The seats themselves are very comfortable for long trips, and both are powered and feature heat functions. My favourite feature inside are the door handles - easy to use and they look great too.

Like I mentioned earlier, the design is rather intuitive to use for every day. The only controls in the cabin are the window buttons and they're discreetly placed on either end of the middle console. The front only feature two buttons but you can switch them over for the rear window use via a little touchpad.

Individual storage is great for the class, with a large open centre console that features a dual opening lid with a shallow cubby, which is perfect to hide away any charging cables for the two USB-C ports.

There is a dedicated phone storage space in the form of a 'lean-to' scenario which also features the wireless charging pad and it's large enough to accommodate bigger devices like an iPad.

There is a sneaky glove box which is located underneath the multimedia screen but it irks me that you can only open it via the screen. It's large enough to hold a manual.

The other sneaky but super handy element is the retractable cupholder shelf that slides away into the middle console. You can also position it so only one cupholder is available or slide the cupholder insert backwards for a large cubby.

The rear gets large storage bins in each door, a drawer from the centre console but it's disappointing that the rear row misses out on cupholders or an armrest for added comfort. It does get two USB-C ports.

There is a 7L frunk storage plus the boot is adequate for overnight luggage or a grocery run with its 318L of capacity but that can jump up to 904L if you fold the rear row.

The multimedia system is fairly easy to use but you have to get used to it as it's a bit different from other Volvo systems I've sampled in the past. You also have to get used to accessing everything for the car, even for turning the car off, via the screen. I do like having buttons/dials but not having them in the EX30 mostly works.

There are three grades for the EX30 and our model on test is the Twin Motor Performance Ultra, which is the top-spec version. It is priced from $71,290 before on-road costs and that positions it as the most expensive compared to its nearest rivals.

The popular Tesla Model Y Long Range all-wheel drive is $69,900 MSRP, the Cupra Born (5 Seat) is one of the most affordable at $59,990 MSRP, and the Hyundai Kona Electric Premium N Line at $71,000 MSRP is the closest rival for price.

The EX30's price point and cute size means it's carved out a little niche for itself - little being the operative word as the rivals above are not apples for apples comparisons. The EX30 could be at risk of not knowing what its audience is - the design is fun, which signals a younger crowd, but the price point might rule them out.

Having said that, the EX30 wants for nothing really and manages to be very well-specified.

Standard items include, a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Services (Assistant/ Maps/ Play), Spotify/YouTube apps, 5G Module, over-the-air updates, satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, four USB-C ports, wireless charging pad, Bluetooth, and DAB+ Digital Radio and a Digital Key.

Luxury and practical items include heated and powered front seats, powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, a premium nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system which features a long soundbar and a huge panoramic sunroof.

Annoyingly though the keyless entry is truly keyless ... there are no buttons on the key and it sometimes glitches when you try to open the door despite the key being in your hand!

The EQA 250 comes with a front-mounted electric motor, which produces 140kW of power and 375Nm of torque. With a kerb weight of 2040kg to deal with, it sprints from a standstill to 100km/h in a respectable 8.9 seconds.

But if you’re after higher performance, the EQA 350 will add a rear-mounted electric motor for combined outputs of 215kW and 520Nm. It will be able to shift its 2105kg frame to triple digits in a hot-hatch-like six seconds flat.

The Twin Motor Performance Ultra grade is an AWD with twin electric motors which combine to produce 315kW of power and 543Nm of torque (115kW front/200kW rear) + (200Nm front/323Nm rear).

The EX30 has a single-speed auto transmission and can go from 0 -100km/h in just 3.6-seconds - making it the fastest Volvo.

The EQA 250 is fitted with a 66.5kWh battery, which delivers a solid 426km of WLTP-certified range. Its energy consumption is 17.7kWh/100km.

On the other hand, the EQA 350 will use the same battery but will last 6km longer in between charges while requiring 0.2kWh/100km less juice along the way.

In my real-world testing with the EQA 250, I averaged 19.8kWh/100km over 176km of driving, which primarily took place on country roads, although time was spent in the urban jungle.

As such, I would’ve been able to get 336km of range out of a single charge, which is a solid return for a city-focused vehicle. And keep in mind, you’d be able to get an even better result without my heavy right foot.

When it does come to charging, though, there’s no difference between the EQA 250 and EQA 350, with their shared battery able to increase its capacity from 10 to 80 per cent in a commendable half an hour when using a 100kW DC fast charger with a CCS port.

Alternatively, the onboard 11kW AC charger with a Type 2 port will do the job in 4.1 hours, which means charging at home or the office will be a breeze no matter the time of day.

Conveniently, the EQA comes with a three-year subscription to Chargefox’s public EV charging network, which is the largest in Australia.

The EX30 Twin Motor Performance Ultra has up to 445km (WLTP) driving range, which felt pretty accurate this week despite throwing some heavy open-road trips into the mix.

This variant has a 69kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery and an official energy consumption figure of 18.0kWh/100km (WLTP). After doing some urban and longer trips I saw my trip computer flitting between 19.0kWh and 22.0kWh/100km.

The EX30 has a Type 2 CCS charging port, which means you can hook it up to a DC charger and it will accept up to 175kW on a DC charging system.

On an AC 2.4kW standard domestic plug port, expect a long charging time of around 38 hours to get up to 80 per cent.

On an AC 11kW system, you can go from 0-100 per cent in eight hours (again, a little slow but reasonable enough for overnight charging).

On a DC 175kW system, you can go from 10-80 per cent in around 28 minutes.

The EQA 250 is genuinely relaxing to drive. Of course, a lot of the credit for this must go to the powertrain, which excels within the city limits.

The front-mounted electric motor’s 375Nm of torque is nothing to be sneezed at, with its instantaneous delivery helping the EQA 250 get up to 60km/h quicker than most internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, some sports cars included.

That said, the EQA 250’s smooth acceleration does become more leisurely as you approach and exceed highway speeds. It performs well enough, but if you want something that has more bandwidth, consider waiting for the more potent EQA 350.

Either way, the EQA 250 does an excellent job of regenerative braking, with Mercedes-Benz offering owners the power of choice. Simply put, if you want to drive it like ‘a normal car’, you can, and if you want to fully embrace zero-emissions driving, you can, too.

There are five modes to choose from, with D Auto using road data to work out the best approach, while the other four (D+, D, D- and D--) can be selected by the steering wheel’s paddle-shifters.

D offers the natural approach, with a slight amount of regenerative braking occurring when lifting off the accelerator, while D-- (my favourite) turns up the aggressiveness to (almost) enable one-pedal driving.

Yep, the EQA 250 can unfortunately only slow things down to a crawling pace and not a complete stop due to its annoying lack of auto-hold functionality for the electric park brake.

When you do need to use the friction brakes, like other all-electric vehicles, the transition to them isn’t the smoothest. In fact, they’re quite grabby initially.

Most drivers can probably fine-tune their inputs over time to counteract this, but it’s still a thing, nonetheless.

Handling-wise, the EQA 250 doesn’t exhibit that much body roll, considering it’s an SUV, although the underfloor positioning of its battery helps to lower its centre of gravity.

Speaking of which, the EQA 250’s two-tonne-plus kerb weight is undeniable when pushing hard through the bends, often causing understeer and therefore working against the driver.

Another factor to consider is grip, the EQA 250’s front tyres can be overwhelmed when encountering a heavy right foot off the line or out of a bend. The upcoming AWD EQA 350 is unlikely to suffer from the same problem.

What feels much sportier, though, is the EQA 250’s electric power steering, which is surprisingly direct when attacking the twist stuffy. It’s also appreciably light in hand, unless the Sport drive mode is called upon, in which case a decent amount of heft is added.

Despite stiffer springs dealing with battery’s extra weight, the EQA 250’s ride is also pretty comfortable, although our test vehicle had the AMG Line package fitted, with its 20-inch alloy wheels managing to catch road imperfections a little too easily.

Of course, the suspension set-up (independent MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear axles) does come with adaptive dampers, but they’re best left in their Comfort setting, as the Sport mode reduces the ride quality while not meaningfully improving handling.

And as far as noise levels are concerned, without an engine labouring away, wind and tyre noise have become quite prominent in the EQA 250, although turning up the sound system does help to drown them out. Either way, more sound deadening would have been nice.

Driving the EX30 Ultra is a mostly fun and lighthearted experience but it's not cutesy, no matter how adorable the external design is.

The twin motors deliver serious power and you can fully expect 'tummy-sucking' moments of pure enjoyment whenever you put your foot down.

Coupled with a graceful on-road presence which assures you that the car will stick to the road like glue, and you have the fun-factor.

The lightheartedness comes from how nimble and easy the EX30 is to manoeuvre. The steering firmness can be customised and its compact dimensions makes it your best friend in tight city lanes.

You can't customise the regenerative braking, or at least, I couldn't figure out an easy way to do so outside of selecting the one-pedal drive option.

The cabin is mostly quiet and there's a refinement to longer journeys because of it. You get occasional wind noise at higher speeds and a little bit of road feedback too but longer journeys are lovely.

My only real nag is that there is no head-up display or instrument panel for your speedometre and I found my eyes directed away from the road because of it. You can find your speed info on the central multimedia system but I prefer something in front of me.

Parking my little blue cloud this week has been easy as pie because the 360-degree camera system is clear and the large windows provide excellent visibility.

At the time of this review, the EX30 has not been tested by ANCAP and is unrated but it has all of the safety equipment you'd expect of a Volvo.

Standard equipment includes, blind spot monitoring, driver attention alert, safe exit warning, rear occupant alert, tyre pressure monitoring, tyre mobility kit, rear collision warning, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, hill start assist, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control, parking assist, a 360-degree view camera system as well as front and rear parking sensors.

The EX30 is also fitted with seven airbags and the Volvo-designed whiplash injury protection system (WHIPS) which helps to reduce the risk of whiplash injury if your car is hit from behind. On impact, the entire front backrest and head restraint moves with the occupant to support the neck.

Like other Volvos, the EX30 also has side impact protection (SIPS), which helps protect you and your passengers in a side collision. The body's steel framework displaces the impact of a side-collision away from the occupants to other parts of the car body.

The EX30 has ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats plus three top tethers but only two child seats will fit. If you have an extra-large booster seat, like me, then expect some of the back window visibility to be compromised when it is installed.

As with all Mercedes-Benz models, the EQA 250 comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance, which currently sets the standard for the premium segment.

That said, the battery is covered by a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty for that extra peace of mind.

Better yet, the EQA 250’s service intervals are relatively long, at every year or 25,000km – whichever comes first.

A five-year/125,000km capped-price servicing plan is available, costing $2200 in total, or an average of $440 per visit, which is fairly reasonable, all things considered.

The EX30 is covered by Volvos five-year/unlimited km warranty and the electric battery is covered by an eight-year term - both are normal terms for the class.

What endears the EX30 to me is that servicing is included, which is very rare for a luxury brand to offer. Servicing intervals are reasonable at every two years or 30,000km, which ever occurs first.