The new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, a sleek rival to the BMW iX3 and Tesla Model X, is now available to order in the UK priced from £90,560.
The machine is the ninth EV from the German firm, and joins the EQA, EQB, EQC and recently launched EQS SUV in its rapidly growing line-up of battery powered SUVs under its new EQ sub-brand.
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Now, if you're convinced that Mercedes has already launched an EQE, you're not wrong. The new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is twinned with the EQE saloon, in a similar way to the combustion-engined E-Class saloon and GLE SUV.
The EQE SUV sits on Mercedes’s dedicated EVA electric platform, and will arrive with a 90.6kWh lithium-ion battery. All models will accept charging speeds of up to 170kW, so we anticipate a 10-80% charge to take around 30 minutes.
The line-up will eventually include a mix of both rear and four-wheel-drive variants, and there will also be a hot Mercedes-AMG performance version.
There will be two versions of the standard car at launch: the 350 4Matic and the 500 4Matic. Both will feature two motors and offer all-wheel-drive, with the 350 offering 215kW and 564lb ft of torque, rising to 300kW and 633lb ft for the 500.
Both variants use the same 89kWh battery, with ranges of 334 and 324 miles respectively. There's a 22kW onboard charger, and the ability to charge at 200kW on a DC fast-charger – that means a 10-80 per cent charge will take 31 minutes.
The entry-level AMG Line trim is only offered with the 350 4Matic powertrain, and is priced from £90,560. It includes electric memory function leather sport seats, 12.8in and 12.3in digital instrument displays, parking assist, LED headlights, 20in alloy wheels and AMG body styling.
The other trims are both offers with the 350 and 500 powertrains. That starts with AMG Line Premium, priced from £99,260 for the 350 and £108,760 for the 500. It and adds a Burmester surround sound system, a built-in dash cam, an augmented reality display, 21in wheels, a panoramic sunroof and the driving assist Package Plus. The massive Hyperscreen dashboard can be added as a £7995 option.
Above that is AMG Line Premium Plus, which includes the Hyperscreen as standard, along with a head-up display, heat and noise insulating laminated glass, 22in wheels and digital lights – which can display information about your journey onto the road using the lights.
Sitting alongside that trim is Business Class, which is more focused on interior comfort and adds an air balance package, a heated steering wheel and a TV Tuner to the Hyperscreen so you never have to miss Coronation Street again.
A towing package is also available for £1500.
The Stuttgart-based car maker has revealed that the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ will eventually top the model line-up. It will offer 460kW of power and 700lb ft of torque, as standard, but if you add the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package and power that goes up to a slightly ridiculous 505kW and 737lb ft torque.
Pricing details for the AMG model have yet to be revealed.
On the outside…
Measuring 4863mm in length, 1940mm in width and 1686mm in height, the new EQE SUV is 262mm shorter, 19mm narrower and 32mm lower than its bigger EQS SUV sibling. In fact, it is closer in size to the BMW iX than the BMW iX3.
Being the shorter SUV in the EQ range the inbound EQE will not be offered with a third row of seats like the flagship EQS SUV.
Stylistically the EQE SUV maintains the sleek and smooth lines that have come to personify the EQ line-up.
Sharing much of its design with the bigger EQS SUV, albeit in smaller form, the EQE SUV is equipped with a blacked-out version of the brand’s Panamerica front grille which encompasses the front LED headlights. The front end is further embellished by an LED light bar, conjoining the two front headlights.
The EQE SUV also gets a clamshell-style bonnet, a sloping roofline and a choice of 19 or 22 inch alloy wheels, all of which aid the overall aerodynamic efficiency of the new SUV.
At the rear, the design is very much akin to the larger EQS SUV, with the smaller model featuring an LED light bar that is flanked by the two rear LED headlights.
On the inside…
Mercedes’s reputation for producing premium, tech-orientated interiors has continued with the EQE SUV. One key element of the cabin is the firm’s in-house developed hyperscreen which has become synonymous with the EQ line-up.
Standard models are fitted with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a portrait-orientated infotainment display. The ultramodern Hyperscreen meanwhile covers the entire length of the dashboard and features a 12.3-inch driver display, a huge 17.7-inch infotainment screen and another 12.3-inch passenger display.
Because of its size the huge displays operate on an eight-core processor with 24GB of RAM. Like the other EQ models, the EQE SUV will use the firm’s MBUX operating system which controls the infotainment, comfort and vehicle functions.
The system supports the conversational voice control ‘Hey Mercedes’ facility, as well as other functionalities including the augmented reality satellite navigation and head-up display. Drivers will also be able to personalise the car to their own preferences, with owners able to preselect radio stations and interior lighting.
Mercedes has also partnered with California-based technology firm Zync to offer improved in-car entertainment. Zync offers video streaming, sports news and games through a single user interface.
Anything else I should know about?
The new EQE SUV gets four primary driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual. Four-wheel-drive models will feature an Off-road mode, helping the EQE SUV to gain traction on loose terrain. Four-wheel-steering is also available as an option with the rear axle offering ten degrees of turning angle.
Mercedes has also equipped its latest EV with the ability to accept over-the-air updates. This will allow owners to activate additional functions after purchasing the car.
Adjustable air suspension can be added as an optional extra, although this comes as standard on AMG models.
Like the bigger EQS SUV, the ride height of the EQE SUV is automatically lowered by 10mm in Comfort mode and 15mm when in Sport mode to reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency. At 50mph the ride height can be raised by up to 25mm to improve ground clearance.
The new EQE SUV will be built alongside the EQS SUV at the firm’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the US. Mercedes is yet to confirm the pricing of its new SUV but we anticipate the standard variant to start from £100,000, with the AMG model commanding a slight premium as the range topping vehicle.
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