2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class and electric EQA spied with minimal camouflage

The reveal of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class is just days away, but we’re getting a sneak peek thanks to one of our spy photographers. An example of the subcompact luxury crossover was spied with only camouflage vinyl on the front and rear, with the rest of the car exposed. We also got a look at the electric EQA, which compared with the GLA, appears to be mostly the same vehicle but with an electric powertrain.

Starting with the GLA-Class, we can see some resemblance to the A-Class hatchback sold overseas. It has a long, low, raked nose and windshield, but it has plenty of its own styling cues, too. The whole vehicle looks taller than A-Class hatch, both in ride height and in profile. The greenhouse is different, with the side windows extending past the edge of the rear doors, and the window sill kicks up toward the back. The hatch is more vertical, there’s more body cladding, and the wheel arches are squared-off.

When the GLA-Class is revealed this week, it should have the same powertrains as the boxy GLB-Class. That means a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 221 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque going through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic and either front- or all-wheel drive. Later, it will be treated to the same high-output turbo 2.0-liter in the CLA 45, available in 382-horsepower and 416-horsepower trims.

Then of course there’s the EQA, the little sibling to the EQC electric crossover. These latest spy shots suggest that it will be extremely similar to the GLA-Class. It has the same profile as the GLA, and with a GLB-Class in the background, we can see it’s about the same size as the GLA. The wheel arches are similarly shaped, as are the nose and tail. This is a contrast to the EQA concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show a few years ago that was a small little hatchback, rather than a crossover. But the crossover body style is likely to be more appealing in America, and a tall crossover makes it easy to hide batteries under the floor without changing the shape much. It will probably have a unique grille and fascia trim to make it look more like the larger EQC.

Details are scarce regarding the EQA’s powertrain. Considering the EQC’s range of around 200 miles, we wouldn’t expect any more than that from this smaller vehicle. Front-wheel drive seems likely considering the platform is shared with the GLA-Class, A-Class and others. It will probably be revealed sometime in 2020.