Mercedes-Benz EQE First Review

Mercedes-Benz has been going all-out on technology and electric powertrains. First, we saw the Mercedes-Benz EQS and then we began to prepare for a smaller version of that car called the EQE. Our first spy shots of the car arrived in February this year, and since then, we’ve been seeing more and more of the car. Finally, we got a teaser last month before the finished product was finally revealed. Boasting 410 miles of range, sleek styling, a tech-forward cabin, and more space than a traditional E-Class, this looks like something special. But is the baby EQS as good as its big brother?
 

Exterior: Baby EQS
The resemblance between this and the larger EQS is obvious, but the EQE does have its own flavor too. As you’d expect, each end of the car is fitted with LED lighting, with the front boasting a smoothed front grille area and the customary side intakes seen on every Mercedes, which have naturally been blanked off on this EV. A panoramic glass roof is standard, as are 19-inch wheels, but the latter can get as big as 21 inches if you go all-out on the options.
 
Like the CLS sedan, this car has a proper trunk lid rather than a tailgate, and its subtle spoiler hints at its sportiness. The charging port resides on the driver’s side fender. As with pretty much every other Mercedes, AMG Line styling will be available with gloss black accents, unique multi-spoke wheels, additional faux vents, and a more sporty overall appearance. We don’t really want to call the base EQE dull, but from the front, that AMG Line upgrade looks like a must.
 

Interior: Intelligent Luxury
The EQE benefits from the latest in Mercedes infotainment tech, meaning that it offers the Hyperscreen from the EQS. Here, you get 2.6 square feet of visible area, but it should be noted that this is optional, as is a 77-inch head-up display. As standard, you get a 12.8-inch infotainment display also running MBUX software and a 12.3-inch driver info display.
 
Over-the-air updates allow for constant improvement of the experience, and you can remotely upgrade things like the available rear-axle steering system. Other offerings include four-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated seating, a surround-view camera, adaptive cruise control, active ambient lighting, customizable drive sounds, and semi-autonomous driving. But one of our favorite features is the intelligent navigation system that can find charging spots along your route and will adapt battery charging and discharging depending on variables like traffic and roadworks.
 
Mercedes-Benz says that the trunk will offer 430 liters or around 15.1 cubic feet of volume. Assuming that the regular E-Class uses a similar way of measuring its trunk, the EQE will be the more practical offering as the regular E-Class can only hold 13.1 cubes.
 

Powertrain And Charging: Plenty Of Power And Range
Mercedes is launching with two models, the first of which is dubbed EQE 350. Mercedes has not said which other variant will be joining it, but we do know that the automaker is working on a Performance model with 670 horsepower. This is likely to get 4Matic all-wheel drive, but for now, the 350 powers the rear wheels via a permanently synchronous motor that produces a total of 288 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to do 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 130 mph.
 
As for charging, you get a 90-kWh battery pack that will do 410 miles on the WLTP cycle. The onboard DC charger allows for charging rates of up to 170 kW, which means 32 minutes for a full charge or just 15 minutes for 155 miles of range. Connect to a standard 11-kW AC charger and you’ll be back to full capacity in 8.25 hours. Alternatively, a 22-kW charger will take 4.25 hours.
 

Pricing And Competition: Prepare For A Fight
With the availability of things like adaptive air suspension, semi-autonomous driving ability, automatic comfort-closing front doors, and rear-axle steering, this is not going to be a cheap car when fully loaded. Sadly, we cannot yet tell you what the entry-level EQE will cost as this has not yet been announced. What we can say is that the electric E-Class is expected to arrive at dealers in the US sometime next year.
 
To be competitive, it will need to perform as well in the real world as it does on paper, and with rivals like the Porsche Taycan, BMW i4, Audi e-tron GT, and Tesla Model S, the EQE needs to be something special. That massive Hyperscreen will help attract those who can afford such an option, and the fact that there’s more space inside than in an E-Class will also count in its favor. Let’s just hope that Mercedes doesn’t get too carried away with the price, or spicier-looking alternatives from Porsche and Audi will leave none of the pie for Mercedes.