Mercedes EQE-class (V295)

	Mercedes EQE-class (V295)
	Debut: 2022 Maker: Mercedes-Benz Predecessor: No

Published on 17 Oct 2022

The EQE and EQS are characterless. And you know, characterless is the worst thing can happen to a luxury brand.

If you know what an EQS is, then we can save 500 words and summarize the EQE in a single sentence: it is a 90-percent scale EQS. Full stop.

The EQE and EQS are not only derived from the same skateboard EV platform called EVA, but they share virtually the same exterior and interior design. Russian dolls you may call them.

They have the same 400V electrical architecture and 170 kW charging capability – admittedly not quite enough to match some rivals’ 270 or 350 kW – but the electric motor of EQE produces 10 percent less power than that of the EQS. However, the smaller car is sold at 70 percent the price of EQS, yet Mercedes claims both of them will enjoy about the same profit margin as its existing combustion power models. How can it manage that?

Part of the cost saving comes from the battery. At 90.6 kWh (net), it is 85 percent the capacity of the one found in EQS. Then the chassis, which is predominantly made of steel, with only a few crash beams and suspension tower brackets made of aluminum, unlike the EQS whose monocoque is more than 50 percent aluminum. That said, skins like doors, bonnet, boot lid and front fenders are still made of aluminum.

And then the aerodynamics is not quite as polished as its bigger sister. Its drag coefficient is 0.22, 10 percent higher than the EQS and merely matches the S-class and A-class sedan. For an electric car, especially one shaped like a banana, that’s a bit disappointing.

Speaking of banana shape, the EQE (as well as EQS) is no CLS-beauty. It looks simply too bulky, blame to its excessive height of 1510 mm and the high scuttle line (the line where the windscreen and bonnet meet), both make the car look somewhat like a monospace MPV from the front. Perhaps Mercedes stresses too much on aerodynamics, or their designers just fail to hide the bulkiness of skateboard structure as good as Tesla or Porsche. We have to question their taste, too, as the shiny black plastic panel fascia at the nose looks cheap, having none of the expensive perception of the brand’s traditional grille.

EQE350 lacks both performance and driver engagement, though Mercedes does comfort and refinement better than others.

Mercedes always does very well in styling, successfully evolving its design to meet modern requirements yet retaining a unique character and sense of expensiveness. Sadly, having decided to abandon everything that characterize a traditional Mercedes, they are lost. The EQE and EQS seem to be shaped by just aerodynamics. They are characterless. And you know, characterless is the worst thing can happen to a luxury brand.

The EQE might be smaller than EQS, but it is still a large car. At nearly 5 meters long and 1.94 meters wide, it is larger than the E-class. Without needing to accommodate engine up front, its wheelbase can be stretched to an astonishing 3120mm, just 90mm shorter than EQS.

On the downside, the EQE is heavy. Base model already tips the scale at 2280 kg, 625 kg more than an equivalent E-class!

Mercedes claims its cabin is 80mm longer than the E-class. That’s true, because you will find vast of legroom at the back seat. However, if you are taller than 6ft 2in, you will find the swoopy roofline presses against your head. Moreover, the shallow windows and high waistline confine outward vision. It needs very much the panoramic glass roof to avoid feeling claustrophobic, no wonder that option is made standard equipment in some markets.

While glass roof help freeing up the ambience, visibility is not. Rearward visibility is rubbish, poorer than many supercars in fact, because the rear screen is small and fast and positioned very high. A victim of chasing aerodynamics efficiency. Forward vision is not much better, as the A-pillars are placed so forward that difficult to see the cars coming out at junction. The bonnet is so steeply raked that you cannot see the nose of the car, especially there is no longer a 3-pointed star logo standing at the nose, so you absolutely need the help of sensors and cameras to slip into tight streets or during parking.

Luggage space is also disappointing for a car so large. It is only 430 liters, 210 liters less than the E-class saloon. There is no luggage space up front either, unlike Tesla. Moreover, while the EQS has a liftback, the EQE doesn’t. That’s another area to save cost.

Church-quiet interior is compromised by some cheap materials. Hyperscreen is too expensive.

Like EQS, the cabin design is big departure from traditional Mercedes. It is simpler and less elegant than traditional Mercedes cabin but heavier on technology, dominated by large and bright screens and LED ambient lighting. The standard setup includes TFT instrument and a 12.8-inch portrait touchscreen at the center console, like what you get in an S-class. The fancy “Hyperscreen” found on EQS is once again optional here, but considering its asking price of £8,000, few buyers will opt for it. Unfortunately, quality perception has taken a backward step. There are more hard plastics than you would find in an equivalent E-class, certainly not helped by the simpler and plainer cabin design that is easier to expose material weaknesses. Maybe a base E-class is just the same, but you won’t expect that for a Mercedes costing upward of £74,000. Somehow, when you want to keep profit margin high, the extra cost of battery has to be recouped elsewhere.

£74,000 will get you a base EQE350 with the leanest trims. Compared with other premium EVs, its performance is a bit underwhelming. A single rear motor offers only 292 horsepower to haul 2.3 tons of car, taking 6 seconds to sprint from rest to 60 mph. Entry-level EQE300 is slower still – 245 hp and 7 seconds. Switching to twin-motor setup, EQE500 4matic upgrades to 408 hp and 5.3 seconds. Further up, it is the AMG territory. If money is no object, of course you can have your EQE upgraded to supercar performance level, but the mass selling EQE350 is just not quick enough in the EV world.

Fortunately, Mercedes still does comfort and refinement better than others. Not only powertrain refinement is first class, the EQE’s cabin is superbly insulated from all sorts of noises and harshness. Even riding on the largest 21-inch wheels with AMG Line trim, the air suspension offers a supple ride on most surfaces except the sharpest bumps, all the while maintaining a quiet environment E-class owners will be jealous of. Mercedes’ adaptive regenerative braking mode is intelligent enough to sense the driving conditions and adjust regeneration level accordingly, so it feels very natural.

Thanks to the low-mounted battery and the usual Mercedes toys of air suspension and adaptive dampers, the EQE controls its body motions tidily, but you will feel its substantial weight when push it harder. It is not a driver’s car, blame to a numb steering, spongy brake pedal and lack of adjustable balance that take driver engagement out of the equation. This means, if you go for driving thrills, you should opt for Porsche Taycan, BMW i4 or, why not simply the traditional E-class or 5-Series?

At least, the EQE offers class-leading driving range. WLTP figure of EQE350 is outstanding at 639 km (almost 400 miles), and that will translate to 500 km in real-world usage. The twin-motor EQE500 manages 590 km (367 miles).

Trouble is, the EQE is way too expensive for what it offers. While the starting price of £74,000 sounds harsh enough, upgrade to desirable trims like AMG Line Premium+ will push the price to almost £90,000, which is S-class territory! A well-equipped diesel E-class can be had for just over £50,000, and you will get more luggage space, better cabin materials and more driving fun from the traditional Mercedes saloon. We want to like the EQE, but sorry, it is hard to recommend.

Verdict:

Published on 17 Oct 2022

AMG EQE43 and EQE53

The fact that EQE53 is way more powerful than E63 but still labeled as a "53" reflects that it is not exactly a driver's car like the E63.

The AMG versions of EQE is equally expensive. Even though it is not exactly a top “63” model, AMG commands £114,000 for EQE53, plus £8,400 if you opt for "Hyperscreen". Some markets get the less powerful (but shares mostly the same chassis) EQE43 at 10 percent cheaper, but both sound unreasonable beside the traditional E63 S at £100,000.

Just like the regular EQE, the EQE53 can be seen as a 90-percent scale EQS53. It shares the latter’s twin-motor setup with a more powerful 6-phase rear motor. However, its output is deliberately scaled back by 10 percent from the EQS, resulting in 625 horsepower and 701 pound-foot of torque (EQE43 is less powerful again at 476 hp and 633 lbft). If you opt for Dynamic+ package (another £4700 thanks), the ECU will overboost output to 687 hp and 737 lbft for a short period in Race Start mode, so that you can try to hit 0-60 in 3.2 seconds. The package also lifts top speed from 137 to 149 mph. Just don’t mention a Cadillac CTS-V Blackwing tops 200 mph.

Note that the EQE53 is actually more powerful than the full-house E63 S, but the fact that AMG declines to adopt the “63” moniker reflects that it is not exactly a driver’s car like the E63. Nothing this side of 2450 kilograms can be.

Driving at 80 or 90 percent effort, the EQE53 feels like any big AMG saloons should be. Its AMG-specific suspensions, with bespoke wheel carriers, knuckles and specific tuning of air springs and adaptive dampers, accompanied with stiffer bushings and anti-roll bars, maintain good roadholding and body control. Standard 4-wheel steering, which steers the rear wheels in opposite direction for up to 3.6 degrees at below 37 mph, not only aids parking but stabilize the car at speed corners. With more power sending to the rear axle than the front, it feels nicely balanced at fast sweeper, too. However, push harder in tighter corners as you would certainly do in the E63, you start feeling its immense weight. There’s more lean and the chassis is less willing to turn. Not even air springs are capable to tighten its vertical and lateral movements. While the AMG-tuned steering is weighty and precise, it lacks feel to inspire confidence. The combination of huge size and poor visibility also hurt confidence to drive fast on twistier, narrower roads.

On the plus side, the huge steel brakes (410mm front and 380mm rear, brake-by-wire) is powerful and consistent on any road abuse, so there is little need to pay another £5000 for ceramic brakes. Even on 21-inch wheels and low-profile 265 and 295 rubbers, the car maintains relatively good ride comfort. The EQE53 feels most at home on faster roads. Its driving range might be the shorter than lesser models, but 524km (325 miles) is still practical for most journeys. That’s about 400km in real world.

For an AMG model, the biggest disappointment is sound quality. People used to buy big AMGs instead of BMW M5 or Audi RS6 for its unique V8 sound signature. An electric car has no engine sound, of course, but some manufacturers, like Porsche, is creative enough to compose a Sci-Fi-style sound signature which is found interesting enough. AMG tries to do the same, but the synthesized sound from “AMG Sound Experience” is not quite as satisfying to ears. It is fake to the point of annoying, so you'd better to turn it off and enjoy the quiet environment. Very fast and pretty capable to be hustled though, the AMG version of EQE fails to inspire driving thrills.

Verdict: