The latest player in the vastly popular and ever-growing EV arena comes in the form of the EQE from Mercedes-Benz. The Three-pointed Star marque has given us a tonne of EVs over the last couple of months, and their latest feat of engineering excellence will see them go up against the likes of the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT. We didn’t get to drive the EQE, but we did see it in the metal. Here’s how it went down.
To be brutally honest, it’s not the most exciting-looking model from Merc but most definitely still a head-turner. It’s a shrunken version of the glorious EQS (read our review of the 450+ variant here), which isn’t a bad thing. Its smaller frame will make manoeuvring in the urban jungle a lot less traumatic.
The exterior design is a mixture of sedan meets coupé. The headlights and front bumper are very familiar to us, almost identical to the EQS. Moving to the back of the car, an LED lightbar, gloss black diffuser, and, I’m not 100 per cent convinced of what to call it, but a spoiler of sorts made its way to the boot. The EQE can be had with wheels measuring between 19 to 21 inches.
Inside the sports business saloon, digital dreams come true. Available as an option is the MBUX Hyperscreen. It’s the IMAX of in-car entertainment. The screens are obviously all hi-res and merge seamlessly under the glass cover they’re tucked behind. The MBUX Hyperscreen is integrated into the instrument panel in the most minimalistic fashion. The 12.3-inch OLED display for the front passenger gives them their own display and control area to play with.
The mastermind driving the show is the marvellous MBUX infotainment system. One of the most user-friendly and responsive infotainment setups in modern-day cars. The usual Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported for the ultimate immersive experience. The voice assistance is also satisfyingly accurate. This has been something we have avoided using in the past with other cars, as you have to repeat yourself countless times in one sitting. Mercedes-Benz clearly saw that as a chance to win us over. They ensured that the only time you have to repeat yourself is when your kids don’t listen to you. Surprisingly enough, the interior dawns synthetic leather, which is a far cry from the traditional Nappa leather that the Germans reach for on any other day (Nappa leather is optional). Here is the kicker, though, to the untrained eye, you can’t tell the difference. I appreciate this.
The backseats can easily fit three people as long as they’re not too tall. The legroom is compromised due to the low and tilted seat positioning. The same goes for headroom. The coupé-esque design compromises the space for your perm. When it comes to boot space, the EQE leads the pack with 430 litres. Its rivals, the Porsche Taycan has 407 litres, and Audi’s e-tron GT has 405 litres.
The local line-up comprises two variants. The EQE 350+ (215 kW and 565 Nm), and then the Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4Matic that delivers 350 kW and 858 Nm. Today we saw the Mercedes EQE 43 4Matic guise. It does 0-100 km/h in a claimed 4.2 seconds.
A 90 kWh battery can be found in both models. Why we are actually here is the range. The EQE 350+ has a claimed range of up to 645 km. The AMG version has a claimed reach of 535 km.
The EQE is the E-Class of EVs, with a bigger price tag of course. The EQE 350+ has an estimated price tag of R1.8 million, and the Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4MATIC R2.2 million. This includes a PremiumDrive Platinum 5-year/100,000 km maintenance plan and a 10-year battery warranty. Upon purchase of your EQE (and all other EQ models), a home charging station will be installed at your house. We are still awaiting final pricing. This will be confirmed shortly.
