AutoMercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive: welcome to the family EVThe EQE SUV is a family-friendly option for premium buyers that need an all-purpose electric carWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
AutoMercedes-Benz EQE SUV first drive: welcome to the family EVThe EQE SUV is a family-friendly option for premium buyers that need an all-purpose electric carWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The EQE SUV is a family-friendly option for premium buyers that need an all-purpose electric car
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / M Gallagher)
(Image credit: Future / M Gallagher)
TheMercedes-BenzEQE SUV sits below the new flagship EQS SUV, offering those looking for a luxury electric SUV a slightly smaller and more affordable option. It also gives those potential E-class – or EQE users – something taller and more adaptable to off-road, or at least to fit in everything the family needs.
I can imagine a time, not long in the future, when Mercedes won’t need to put the SUV designation behind these names. Saloon (or sedan) cars are proving to be less popular than their SUV offerings across all brands and has seen the number of options in this style dwindle. Right now though, Mercedes is giving its electric users a clear choice of styles. Does that mean we’ll also see an EQC SUV? More than likely.
SUV’s for the most part are more practical family cars. They offer more boot space, more headroom and a higher driving position that can feel safer on the motorway. I can see why anyone with a family would opt for one, so I expect that this SUV version of the EQC will be a popular choice. After all, it offers all those advantages, while not looking too SUV-like from the outside.
I spent some time behind the wheel at the launch of the EQE SUV to discover what this EV is like on the road.
(Image credit: Future / M Gallagher)
(Image credit: Future / M Gallagher)
Price and availability of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
There are two versions of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV coming to the UK, the EQE 350 4Matic and the EQE 500 4Matic. These start from £90,560 for the 350 model with the AMG Line finish. The AMG Line Premium for another £8700 adds 21-inch AMG alloys and Burmester surround sound. There’s also the AMG Line Premium Plus, which comes with 22-inch AMG alloys and Hyperscreen as standard, and the Business Class model, which adds 21-inch AMG alloys and special body styling. The top-of-the-range EQE SUV AMG Line Premium Plus will cost you £122,455.
These are available to order now via theMercedes-Benz website, with availability expected in summer 2023.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
Design and features
The Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is a great-looking car, arguably even more so than the EQE saloon. There’s the distinctive Mercedes-Benz grill, with the large three-pointed star badge that’s stacked full of driving sensors and made smooth and slippery for the airflow. There’s the gentle curve of the body that looks enlarged but not boxy as it finishes in a flourish to the rear.
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There’s a range of paint finishes, though it’s the Alpine grey that really stands out to me, though the sodalite blue metallic may also prove a popular alternative for EV buyers looking to avoid the typical silver and white options.
The interior is beautifully finished with a familiar EQ style. It’s modern and spacious, though not void of buttons and switches completely. Everything feels big and padded around the driver’s seat, from the steering wheel to the centre console. It’s not to the same level as the EQS models, as you might expect, but it fits what you might expect from an E-class or something of this level.
That higher body also means more boot space, and here you get 520 litres of storage behind the rear seats, or 1675 litres with the seats laid flat. If you need more, the EQE SUV can also tow up to 1,800 kg for a trailer or caravan.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
The technology inside the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
For those wanting the best tech, the EQE SUV comes with the option of the MBUX Hyperscreen on the Premium model – or as standard in the Premium Plus and Business Class models. This combines a 12.8-inch vertically curving centre screen with a larger 12.3-inch driver screen behind the wheel and a third 12.3-inch display in front of the passenger seat, all housed behind a single curving dash. Turned off you might think they were all part of one giant single screen but these are three separate, though interconnected, displays.
Ambient lighting runs along the top of the dash and along the doors, providing a changeable set of colours. These also double as warning lights when required. The effect can look a little disco at times but with a little setting up you can find colours that suit you.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
Driving and performance
It uses a 90kWh battery and provides up to 170kW DC charging, which is a 32-minute 10% to 80% charge at full power. From the Premium model upwards, you also get the faster 22kW AC charging option for home charging.
The second factor is even more clever. Though this is a 4x4 vehicle with dual motors powering both front and rear axles, the front axle can be decoupled when not needed, to reduce strain on the motors. This all happens automatically and in a fraction of a second and can add up to 6% to the range, according to Mercedes. The onboard display can display when this is happening, which is often when coasting or decelerating.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
To help manoeuvre the EQE SUV in tight spaces, it also features rear steering. The rear wheels can turn as much as 10 degrees, which really helps when turning the car around or parking. Of course, there’s also the Mercedes Parking Assistance technology on board, which will place you in a spot automatically, should you wish.
There’s the Driving Assistance package Plus as standard on all but the regular AMG Line verison. With Active Distance control and Active Lane Keeping Assist, you have level 2 automation to help with those long-distance drives.There’s also the Intelligent Parking Pilot with remote parking assist, to get you into the tightest of spaces with ease. I’d love to see the level 3 driving assistance come to the EQE SUV in the future, as it would certainly open up the possibilities of that Hyperscreen to the driver as well as the passengers when in traffic.
The 500 version of the EQE SUV is considerably more pokey when you put your foot down, so if you want a car with power, I’d opt for that version. Though at 402hp with a 4.9-second 0-62mph, it’s still not as wild as others in the sector. Driving in its comfort setting gives a relatively smooth and gentle ride, though smaller potholes and bumps are noticeable, particularly with the larger wheels on. Switch the car into sport mode and everything tightens up a bit, though the air suspension does a great job at keeping the car level in all modes, even in tight, fast turns.
One thing I really noticed about the EQE SUV was that the driving position is pretty high. The display behind the wheel is in a fixed position, and the sensors on the display need a clear view of your face through the gaps in the steering wheel, so you’re not left with much choice but to lift the wheel up, and the seat to match. This immediately feels very different to the saloon models, but will suit those drivers who like that positioning.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
Should I buy the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV?
Though I’m still a big fan of saloon cars, it feels natural that models such as the EQE SUV will soon replace them altogether. However, this car proves that SUVs don’t need to look big and boxy to offer that extra room and height.
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)
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