Mercedes-Benz currently has seven electric vehicles on sale today and now it’s added an eighth model, the EQE SUV, the high-riding and more rugged alternative to the EQE sedan. It’s also Mercedes’ fourth electric model built on a bespoke EV platform, and even though it looks like a smaller version of the EQS SUV, there are several characteristics that make it stand out.
Interestingly, Mercedes notes that even though the EQE SUV has a more spacious interior than the EQE sedan, it is actually a smaller vehicle that rides on a 3.5-inch (9-centimeter) shorter wheelbase. The EQE SUV is 191.5 inches (4.86 meters) long, 76.4 inches (1.94 meters) wide and 66.4 inches (1.68 meters) tall – this makes it shorter overall, but wider and taller than the sedan.
From a design standpoint, it looks almost identical to the EQS SUV (only slightly smaller), but its front fascia does look a lot more similar to the EQE sedan, especially when it comes to the shape of the headlights. And just like in the EQS SUV’s case, its more traditional SUV proportions make it look less polarizing than the pebble-like sedans – let us know in the comments if you agree.
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Mercedes also notes that because of its shorter wheelbase, the EQE SUV is also more maneuverable compared to the three-box model, so if you equip the optional rear-wheel steering system (that can turn the wheels by up to 10 degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels at lower speeds) it should be especially agile.
Specifying rear-axle steering reduces the turning circle from 40.4 meters to 34.4 meters, according to the manufacturer.
Air suspension is available as an option and it can raise the ride height by 1 inch, which happens automatically when all-wheel drive examples are put into Off-Road mode (not available on rear-wheel drive vehicles). It provides special powertrain, suspension, braking, suspension and ESP calibration that Mercedes says will make a difference when going off-road.
Inside, it again looks identical to the EQS SUV – we compared photos and didn’t really spot any differences. It comes with the same 12.8-inch central display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and optionally you can specify the three-screen 56-inch Hyperscreen array that really transforms the look of the dashboard, although some more traditionalist Mercedes buyers may want to do without to have a more classic looking interior.
Four versions will be offered: the base will be the 288 horsepower rear-wheel drive EQE 350+ SUV (also with 288 horsepower), then the all-wheel drive EQE 350 4Matic SUV, the 536 horsepower EQE 500 4Matic SUV, with the AMG 53 variant capping the range. The longest range model is the rear-wheel drive variant, which Mercedes expects to exceed 550 km (341 miles), at least for the European market where it will be rated on the WLTP test cycle.
The Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 SUV is the most potent model, with a maximum power of 677 horsepower if you specify the AMG Dynamic Plus pack that gives the vehicle a boost mode, otherwise it makes 617 horsepower. It gets a sporty exterior AMG pack, 21- or 22-inch wheels and thanks to its mighty power output and all-wheel drive, it sprints to sixty in 3.4 seconds. It’s also the only EQE SUV variant to not be limited at 130 mph (209 km/h), being able to keep going to 149 mph (239 km/h).
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All variants draw from the same 90.6 kWh battery pack and be able to take DC fast charging at up to 170 kW (it runs on a 330-volt electrical architecture), which is enough to allow it to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 32 minutes. The standard on-board charger is an 11 kW unit, but it can be upgraded to 22 kW as an option.
Mercedes will build the EQE SUV in the United States and it is expected to make its Stateside debut sometime next year. Pricing will be announced closer to its launch.
