The first EV SUV from AMG makes 677 horsepower from the front and rear motors combined.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
After a hesitant start, Mercedes has built momentum with its electrified portfolio. The EQC SUV that we previewed four years ago never did cross the Atlantic, but in its absence the EQ sub-brand has evolved to include the EQE and EQS sedans – electric alternatives to the gas-powered E-Class and S-Class – as well as the EQB, EQE and EQS SUVs that parallel the GLB (compact), GLE (mid-size) and GLS (full-size) SUVs.
The sedans already offer go-faster AMG versions, and now the EQE becomes the first electric SUV to get the AMG treatment.
Unlike the gas-powered AMG-badged GLE, which offers both “lite” (GLE 53) and full-strength (GLE 63S) formulae, there is just one Mercedes-AMG EQE – and it’s best classified as full-strength. Its front and rear electric motors combined generate up to 677 horsepower, more than double the 288 horsepower of the plain-vanilla EQE 350 4Matic and 68 per cent more than the EQE 500′s 402 horsepower.
Electric range isn’t revealed yet, but because the 90.6-kilowatt-hour battery capacity is the same as the 500′s, it’s unlikely to be more than the latter’s 433 kilometres. AMG manages the battery to prioritize range in Comfort mode or performance in Sport or Sport+ modes. It can handle charging at up to 9.6 kilowatts on AC, or 170 kilowatts on a DC fast charger.
The rear motor is more powerful than the front, which promotes a rear-wheel-drive handling balance when appropriate, though the front-rear power distribution is fully variable. There are also AMG-tuned versions of all the hardware in the Mercedes chassis-dynamics armoury – variable-damping air suspension, active rear-wheel steering and active roll stabilization.
There are also AMG specific exterior and interior cosmetic treatments. An AMG hood emblem replaces the usual Tri-Star, along with standard digital light headlamps and AMG lettering in the black-panel “grille.”
Inside, there’s an AMG Performance steering wheel and AMG accents on the seats, pedals and trim. A Dolby Atmos sound format is standard and there are AMG-specific functions and displays in the Hyperscreen infotainment system. The so-called AMG Sound Experience can provide a range of “hallmark AMG driving sounds” and can even replicate “event sounds” like starting and stopping the “engine.”
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE still has the fundamental aero-blob appearance of the regular EQE.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
You need the extra-cost DYNAMIC PLUS package to get the aforementioned 677 horsepower (617 is standard), and the resulting 3.5-second dash to 100 kilometres per hour time is 0.3 seconds quicker than the GLE 63S, quicker too than a BMW iX M60, but lags the Tesla Model X Plaid. But the Sound Experience doesn’t come close to replacing, or replicating, the aural drama of an AMG gasoline V8 in full fury. Rather than synthetic engine music that doesn’t convince, I’d prefer the different, but equally seductive EV signature of delivering towering performance with tomb-like tranquility.
As with the sound experience, so it goes with the whole vehicle. The electric AMG can post impressive objective numbers, but it lacks the visceral subjective appeal of gas-powered AMGs.
Even more than most Mercedes-AMG models, this new flagship EQE will attract and satisfy those status-driven, non-enthusiast drivers who simply want the most expensive version in a given model range.
An estimated base price of around $130,000 will get them a luxurious mid-size SUV that is fast, comfortable, spacious and, of course, electric. It’s scheduled to be in showrooms in this third quarter of 2023.
Tech specs
2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE
- Price: from $130,000 (estimated)
- Powertrain: Front and rear electric motors, 617 combined horsepower (677 with Dynamic Plus Package)/ 90.6-kilowatt-hour battery
- Drivetrain: Fully variable electric all-wheel drive.
- Energy efficiency/range: To be announced
- Alternatives: Audi e-tron S, BMW iX M60, Rivian R1, Tesla Model X, Cadillac Lyriq, Jaguar I-Pace
Looks
The AMG exterior cues – including 21- or 22-inch wheels and numerous glossy black accents – don’t much change the fundamental aero-blob appearance of the EQE.
Interior
Mercedes-AMG is pitching the EQE as a versatile all-rounder, and part of that formula is the exceptionally roomy and comfortable rear cabin. Generous knee-room and, especially, foot-room under the front seats, really let adults stretch their legs. There’s also ample at-the-wheel adjustability for most drivers, though I could have used more forward adjustment for the steering wheel and sightlines would benefit from less-stout A-pillars. As on many modern Benzes, the drive selector is a spindly column stalk that newbies can easily mistake for a wiper switch. The start/stop button is well back on the centre console. The centre-piece is the massive Hyperscreen which, unlike earlier Benz wall-to-wall wide-screens, is integrated into the shape of the dashboard. Most secondary controls are operated either via the screen or the array of tiny poke-or-stroke buttons on the wheel spokes.
Performance
The AMG EQE is more agile than anything this size or weight should be, but the steering has a dead spot on centre, and ultimately there’s no hiding its near-three-ton mass. Brake response could be more linear, too, and we even detected a hint of brake fade during an expressive romp through the Southern California hills. None of which will bother most buyers, who will appreciate instead that the ride remains pliant even in Sport+ mode.
The Hyperscreen is three large screens that appear contiguous under a single sheet of glass shaped to the profile of the dashboardJeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
Technology
We already mentioned the wall-to-wall Hyperscreen, so you get the idea. This is a $100,000-plus Mercedes. If the assisted-drive or infotainment technology isn’t standard or available, it probably hasn’t been invented yet. Worth a special mention, however, is Navigation with Electric Intelligence, which plans the optimal route, including charging stops. It responds to on-the-go traffic events and changes in driving style, while factoring in topography, ambient temperature, driving speed and climate control needs.
Cargo
Cargo volumes of 520 litres seats-up and 1,675 litres seats-down are respectable, and the hold is useable, with 40/20/40 split seatbacks that fold flush with the deck and almost flat.
A practical and versatile cargo area compares well with other EV SUVs as well as like-sized gas-powered ones.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
The verdict
The first EV SUV from AMG will do athletic if you insist, but its speed is best enjoyed in a straight line.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.