New power generation

As the battle to be your next electric SUV gets fiercer by the day, the Q4 e-tron and EQA join the charge – but which is the better car? We pick a winner

NEW

Audi Q4 e-tron 40 S line

List price £47,090

Target Price £47,090

A bit smaller than Audi’s other electric SUVs, the Q4 has a spacious interior and an official range of more than 300 miles in this mid-range 40 guise

NEW

Mercedes-Benz EQA

250 AMG Line

List price £45,995

Target Price £43,659

The EQA is an electrified version of Mercedes’ GLA family SUV with an official range of 260 miles and an interior that’s as dazzling as its conventional sibling’s

Both Audi and Mercedes-Benz launched their first electric SUVs (the E-tron and EQC respectively) back in 2019. They were – and still are – comfortable, practical and suitably luxurious choices, but there were two big issues: their high prices and their slightly disappointing ranges.

These two new arrivals from the German car makers are not only massively cheaper to buy but also have usefully longer ranges on a full battery charge. Sounds pretty appealing, doesn’t it – so what’s the catch? Well, the Q4 e-tron and EQA are smaller than their stablemates, but they can still carry four tall adults in comfort and offer the chunky styling that many SUV buyers hanker after.

The Q4 is based on the same underpinnings as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq, cars that have already impressed us against non-premium rivals. The EQA is closely related to Mercedes’ petrol-powered GLA. So, which of the new arrivals is the better buy?

DRIVING Performance, ride, handling, refinement