2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE review: Australian launch

To us, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a luxury car. To Germans, it's a taxi cab.

In which case, how do you create an E-Class-sized car without an internal combustion engine that still embodies the DNA of Mercedes without alienating a hugely diverse target market? That's the task of the EQE range and it's one that, on the face of it, appears an almost impossible brief.

The EQ series of electric vehicles from Mercedes-Benz is rapidly growing, but for now, let's focus on the EQS, launched in 2021.

As its suffix letter suggests, this is an electric interpretation of an S-Class and, with only a powerhouse EQS 53 AMG model initially launched in Australia, it's only partially successful in updating what we'd typically consider S-Class traits to suit this new era.

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On first acquaintance, the EQE appears to suffer the same issue. Its styling looks like shrunken EQS, with the same well-used bar of soap aesthetic, forged from hours and hours in a Sindelfingen wind tunnel.

There's none of the lantern-jawed implacability and presence that most have come to expect from an E-Class and it's fair to say that most observers might be surprised that the range opens at around $135K before on-road costs and options.

Spend a little time with the EQE, however, and it's clear that Mercedes has done anything but short-change potential customers.

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JUMP AHEAD

• How much is it, and what do you get?
• How do rivals compare on value?
• What's the EQE like inside?
• What is it like to drive?
• How economical is it?
• How safe is it?
• How long is the warranty and what are the running costs like?
• Would you recommend it?
• Specifications

How much is it and what do you get?

The three-model EQE range is easy to get a handle on. Opening proceedings at $134,900 before on-road costs is the single-motor EQE 300 sedan. The six-phase motor drives the rear wheels only, drawing from an 89kWh (useable) battery resulting in 180kW and 550Nm and the ability to sprint to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds.

Next up is the EQE 350 4Matic which, badging aside, looks identical but costs $154,900 and features all-wheel drive courtesy of dual electric motors. The 90kWh battery nets you 215kW and 765Nm, which translates to 6.3s for the benchmark sprint.

At the top of the range and identifiable by its PanAmericana-look grille, bigger 21-inch alloy wheels and boot spoiler is the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4Matic+. This features the same 10-module lithium-ion battery pack as the EQE 350 4Matic but is mated to more powerful AMG-specific motors which means that the outputs are a heady 460kW/950Nm for 3.5s to 100km/h.

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The asking price? An equally breathtaking $214,900. Before on-road costs. Stump up another $7400 – and you know that practically every EQE 53 customer will – and you get the Dynamic+ package.

This lifts top speed from 220km/h to 240km/h, which is fairly academic but outputs step up to 505kW and 1000Nm. The 0-100 drops to 3.3 seconds and Race Start (Stuttgart-speak for launch control) is also packaged. AMG Track Pace data logging is also a standard fitment.

Equipment levels even at the entry point to the range are strong, with both the EQE 300 and 350 featuring AMG Line trim as standard. The EQE 300 gets the latest generation MBUX multimedia system, with augmented reality overlays and the central screen features fingerprint scanning for specific driver profiles. Metallic paint is also included in the base price.

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Other standard equipment highlights include:

Options include Airmatic air suspension for the EQE 300 and 350 at $3800 and the triple panel LCD Hyperscreen inside at $15K. EQE 53 buyers can also specify ceramic brake discs at $9400. Mercedes also sells a new Wallbox 2.0 charging station for $2475 plus local installation. This AC unit can charge at up to 22kW and offers a number of functions such as scheduled charging that can be accessed via the Mercedes Benz app.

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How do rivals compare on value?

The key rival to the EQE is, nominally at least, Schrodinger's Tesla. Yep, the Model S that seems simultaneously both dead and alive, depending on who you speak to and when. If we enter into a little compact where a Model S can be ordered and delivered here in Australia, the price is, at present, unknown and only the demented Plaid version appears on the company's website, making a meaningful comparison somewhat tricky.

BMW isn't much more helpful in bowling up a direct EV competitor either, with the smaller i4 and the larger i7 neatly sidestepping a frontal assault from the EQE. Audi's $181,700 E-Tron GT significantly undercuts the EQE 53 as indeed do all variants of the Porsche Taycan residing beneath the Turbo version. Granted, none are as quick off the mark as the AMG but all arguably offer more in terms of kerbside presence.

At a more attainable price point, the EQE 300's $135K sticker price finds itself in a bit of a void in the market. The EQE is more spacious than a BMW i4, less vapourware than a Tesla Model S, more affordable than a base Taycan and only really begins to look a little conspicuous if you're largely drivetrain agnostic. Were that the case, you could certainly argue that a BMW 530e hybrid ($127,400 before on-road costs) represents a compelling alternative that's versatile, cheaper, quicker and handles more crisply.

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What's the EQE like inside?

In a word, long. Although it's fully 27cm shorter than the monster EQS, Mercedes has pinned the wheels out to each corner of the EQE's footprint so that compared with a garden-variety E-Class, the length is up by 23mm and the width by 54mm but the wheelbase extends by a whopping 181mm.

You'll feel the benefit of all that added wheelbase in the back seats where the 80mm of extra cabin length makes it easy to stretch your legs out. Unfortunately, you'll also feel the effects of that one-bow coupe-like roofline in the rear, with taller passengers pinched for headroom. The unfussy utility that has always distinguished the E-Class is compromised here, making the EQE open to an accusation of style over substance.

That impression is augmented by the fact that there's no frunk under the bonnet in which to stow belongings, squandering a key EV advantage of doing without an engine up front. Perhaps that's more understandable with the dual motor models but the EQE 300? Really?

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Those expecting the rear glass to lift and reveal the bonus of a practical tailgate may also be a little crestfallen at the fact that despite the slinky silhouette and 0.22Cd drag factor, the EQE is a four-door with a boot. Granted, the boot is reasonably big, offering up 430 litres of space with the rear seats in place.

Cabin fit and finish is excellent with various grades of Dinamica used on the doors and dash, a longer grain suede-like grade on the lower door cards and a shorter grain shaved finish on the dash and door roll tops.

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The dash architecture is fairly pared back in standard guise with a neatly-integrated 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen in the centre console, a multi-function steering wheel and a 12.3-inch screen housing the main dial pack. Front passengers are faced with a vast swathe of blank dash that's at the same time daring and a little shocking in its minimalism.

Specifying the Hyperscreen setup alleviates that, but this one fitment alone would add more than 10 per cent to the asking price of an EQE 300 or 350.

The dash itself is configurable in a dizzying number of ways, with swishing graphics, pulsing effects and a huge amount of camera displays. You'll probably need the cameras too, because the view out of the back of the car is compromised by its slot-like rear window and bulky pillars, which makes reversing something that you'll largely be staring at a screen to accomplish.

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What is it like to drive?

It's become a bit of a trope that electric cars don't ride very well. In order to contain all of that weight, all subtlety and nuance disappears from the way the car is damped, leaving you with a nervous, flinty ride. Well, forget about that. Mercedes seems to have cracked it.

The EQE rides brilliantly. Kerb weight ranges from 2380kg for the 300 up to 2530kg for the AMG 53 and you do feel that heft through compressions and over crests but, for the most part, the EQE rides with genuine polish, helped by the way its long wheelbase can breathe with the road.

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In many regards, it feels as if it has benefited inordinately from the EQS development cycle and, in most circumstances, the EQE feels a better-damped car than the EQS 53. We tried all three variants but didn't get to sample the EQE 300 and 350 on the optional air suspension. We'll report back on that fitment later, but the coil-sprung models certainly won't have you scrabbling to tick an options box for superior comfort.

The EQE 300 feels a class act, with crisp acceleration and decent body control. Traction, even in the wet, was well managed and it took some deliberate lead-footing in the EQE 350 4Matic to feel the benefit of torque split between four tread patches.

On dual-motor variants the torque split is nominally 36:64 front to rear, although drive can be apportioned 100 per cent to the rear if required.

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The EQE 53 is an interesting beast. Right from the off, you'll feel the weightier steering and more aggressive throttle mapping. Like most such EVs, the acceleration verges on the uncomfortable and the novelty wears off relatively quickly.

On a twisty hill route, there's a certain amount of fun to be had in the AMG's ridiculous point-and-squirt ability, but the satisfaction of building a flow through corners is undone by getting too greedy with the throttle and then needing to scrub off speed with a big application of brakes.

Talking of which, unless you have a real aversion to brake dust, I'd save the money and not choose the ceramic discs. The brake pedal feel is strangely inconsistent, requiring a big bootful when cold. Even when warmed up there's initial bite, then the travel goes flabby before biting again near the end of the pedal's arc, with a fairly violent pulsing on ABS engagement.

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On the EQE 300 and 350 that I drove with steel rotors, there was a more measured and faithful transition between regenerative and friction braking.

Cornering hard in any of the EQE models betrays the weight involved and the cars can lapse into juddering understeer that, upon lifting the throttle, will switch to oversteer that the ESC system does a commendable job of restraining.

It never feels particularly elegant, and it is possible to switch the ESC off if you're particularly confident, but the electronic guardian will step back in if it thinks you've made a genuine mess of things.

There's also the benefit of 4.5 degrees of rear-wheel steer on the EQE 53 (optional on the other EQE models), reducing the turning circle from 12.5 metres to 11.7 metres while aiding stability at speed. Its AMG Ride Control suspension can also lift and drop the ride height of the vehicle.

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One of the more striking aspects of the EQE is the array of sounds it can generate. We tend to think of EVs as mute partners and, for the most part, that is indeed the case. Switch the EQE into its Balanced soundscape and it'll whine gently while emanating a low pulsing tone to alert pedestrians of its presence. From there it gets much more interesting. Or annoying, according to your take on these things.

Engage the Sport sound effect and it'll start some speed-sensitive whooshing as you throttle on, which cues passengers in aurally to the car gathering speed. The Powerful setting sounds as if there's a squadron of high-altitude jets over your shoulder, introducing a deep white noise effect that sounds faintly menacing.

I've heard some fairly dreadful artificial sounds in EVs over the years, but I'd consider the Mercedes suite of sound effects the least offensive. These can easily be configured using manettino-like dials on the EQE 53's steering wheel along with the various drive modes and ESC settings.

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How economical is it?

The EQE 300 delivers the longest range of all variants, its single motor consuming 201Wh/km, contributing to an overall range of 508km on the WLTP cycle. Step up to the dual motor 350 4Matic and this chews through electrons at a rate of 225Wh/km to arrive at a figure of 462km for overall range. The flagship EQE 53 features a far more powerful rear motor and its consumption is rated at 235Wh/km with an overall range from its battery pack of 435km.

You can charge the EQE 53 at a slightly higher rate on DC power (200kW) compared to the 170kW rate for the 300 and 350 4Matic models. Even these models will, at a suitably rapid charger, accept up to 248km worth of charge in 15 minutes.

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There are a number of intriguing sustainability measures in the EQE, consistent with Mercedes' move to its Ambition 2039 targets, which aim to make its fleet of new passenger cars CO2 neutral over their entire lifecycle by 2039.

For example, the body is manufactured from fully recycled or 'secondary' steel by Salzgitter AG, while both the Bremen factory and the Hedelfingen battery plant are already CO2 neutral. When the vehicle reaches the end of its life, the battery pack is either recycled or can be remanufactured to provide stationary energy storage systems.

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How safe is it?

The Mercedes-Benz EQE has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP rating, with its semi-autonomous emergency stop system rated by testers as 'excellent'. ANCAP has yet to issue the EQE an official star rating.

Its standard Active Emergency Stop Assist function – the first of its kind to be assessed by Euro NCAP – intervenes if the driver is deemed unresponsive, and safely manoeuvres the car to the slowest lane before bringing it to a stop.

Euro NCAP’s secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, said: “Fully autonomous driving is still some way away but the groundwork is being laid by robust, high-performing assisted-driving systems like this one from Mercedes.”

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Standard safety features include:

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How long is the warranty and what are the running costs like?

All EQE models are covered by Mercedes-Benz's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. In addition, the EQE is also supplied with a battery warranty for a term of 10 years or 250,000km. Service intervals are 15,000km or one year, whichever arrives first.

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Would you recommend it?

The Mercedes-Benz EQE feels a more cohesive proposition than the bigger EQS. It's more comfortable in its own skin and occupies a neat niche in the market. It's worth bearing in mind that it feels more like an electric CLS in its appeal than an electric E-Class, as there remain some practicality compromises that limit its versatility and appeal.

Another caveat that's worth issuing is one that applies not just to the EQE but to many EV ranges, namely that the entry-level versions are usually the pick of the bunch. At $134,900, the EQE 300 feels reasonably good value. At $214,900 the AMG EQE 53 does not.

While AMG has tried to differentiate the feel of the EQE 53, the external aesthetic isn't overt enough to attract traditional customers of the Affalterbach marque, and nor can it rely on the time-honoured acoustic artillery. The 53 never feels like the sort of car you'd drive just for the fun of it; in itself a somewhat damning indictment for an AMG product.

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The EQE 300 and 350 4Matic are more rounded propositions. Mercedes should be applauded for delivering a quality electric vehicle with excellent ride quality and, maybe for the first time, a vehicle that doesn't need to draw down on the equity of its internal combustion-engined forebears. This feels like the base template for a modern Mercedes and the template is good.

Good, but not great. That will come. In the meantime, the EQE edges the game forward, albeit by modest increments. Is that enough? Aussie buyers will be the final arbiter of that.

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