Mercedes-Benz is one of the oldest and most prestigious auto manufacturers in the world. Their brand is synonymous with luxury and quality. While Mercedes has always been associated with innovation, they have been historically slow to adopt new technologies. With that said, Mercedes-Benz has launched a new brand of electric vehicles called EQ. In North America, they are currently offering five different EQ models, an entry level EQB SUV, the midsized EQE Sedan and SUV, as well as the top of the line EQS Sedan and SUV.
The EQE and EQS models are built on Mercedes-Benzs’ brand new dedicated EV platform. The EQE can be configured as a rear wheel drive sedan or all wheel drive sedan with a dual motor setup. In Canada the base model is a dual motor EQE 350 4MATIC with a substantial 288 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. The 350 models’ pricing begins at approximately $86,000 CAD. Our test model was the EQE 500, which boosts power to 402 horsepower, 633 lb-ft of torque and has a base price of $96,000 CAD. The driving range is around 400 km. Later this year, Mercedes will release an AMG performance model, which will boost the horsepower to an additional 617 and the torque to a maximum output of 730 lb-ft.
Mercedes clearly has aerodynamics in mind with the design of their new models. Their new shape is called "one bow design", which is meant to mimic the shape of a flexed bow. From our perspective the design is not particularly memorable. The front fascia has a large black grill and the wheels are as filled in as possible for the purpose of reducing drag.
The front left fender offers a “soap dish” like opening for the washer fluid, a small feature we found interesting. Unlike many of the EQE's competitors, the hood does not open and therefore does not offer any front storage space.
For us, the interior of this vehicle is where it truly shines. If you were to blindfold yourself and step inside, you would never know you were inside an electric vehicle. The front seats are typical Mercedes-Benz, (in our opinion the second best in the business after Volvo) the dash and door finishings are excellent, we experienced no rattling while driving. The infotainment system is Mercedes latest MBUX, to be found in all their newest models. The system works well and has some physical controls for volume. We would prefer to have more buttons for the climate controls. Our main gripe regarding the interior, are the angles of the back seats. We found them to be a little too upright and not particularly comfortable. As a positive the rear floor is almost completely flat, which adds some extra leg room for anyone who might get stuck in the middle seat.
Driving the EQE500 4MATIC feels like a typical Mercedes-Benz. The car is big, smooth and powerful. The power delivery is as expected for an EV and the 500 model can go 0-100 kph in 4.7 seconds. The drive is very customizable and offers an almost overwhelming number of modes. Anyone familiar with a modern Mercedes, will recognize the Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Custom drive settings, which adjust the steering ratio, throttle response and suspension etc. In addition to these driving modes the EQE has three unique EV settings. Strong Recuperation (for one foot driving) Normal Recuperation and No Recuperation. We spent the bulk of our time test driving the car in normal mode. We wanted the car to feel like a Mercedes-Benz. We didn’t want it to feel like an eco-friendly warrior or sports car. To us the car is a luxury sedan.
We definitely question the EQEs roll within the Mercedes line up. At a base price of $86,000, it will not qualify for any North American incentives. E-Cass sales have been declining as have most big sedans in favor of SUVs. In a world where manufacturers are struggling to meet EV demand, we do not necessarily know why Mercedes has decided to allocate its resources towards building more sedans. The EQE sits between Tesla’s Model 3 and S in terms of price and size and we wonder if Mercedes will be able to sell these cars in North America.
With a steady decline in large sedans, we do not predict that the EQE will be a commercial hit in North America, with that said we do foresee the SUV version to be a success. Overall, driving the EQE is a great experience, we do not feel any compromises were made by going electric.
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