Test: Mercedes EQE SUV – American but not Tesla

Where does the EQE SUV stand in the Mercedes range?

As with the EQS, Mercedes is now also introducing a higher variant of the EQE: the EQE SUV, the fourth model on Mercedes’ EVA (Electric Vehicle Architecture) for larger EVs. The flexibility of this architecture is immediately fully exploited: the EQE SUV has a wheelbase that is nine centimeters shorter than the low hatchback from which it is derived. At Mercedes they say that the car looks better with a shorter wheelbase, the proportions are better. With a greater distance between the front and rear axle, the silhouette would be too elongated and the car would look too much like a high station wagon. And they don’t like that in Stuttgart, after all, the unsurpassed R-class was not followed up either. The EQE SUV offers more than enough space in all directions, and thanks to a pleasant upright position, it is – despite the shorter wheelbase – even better to endure in the back than in the regular EQE. This is the absolute added value of the SUV!

You sit a lot better on the back seat of the EQE SUV than on that of the low EQE hatchback.

What versions are there of the EQE SUV?

The Mercedes EQE SUV is currently in the price list with four drive variants. It starts with the rear-wheel drive 350+. That is good for 292 hp and 565 Nm. According to WLTP, you can travel 594 km on a full battery. That battery pack is the same for all versions with a capacity of 90.6 kWh. In addition, there are three four-wheel drive versions. The first is the 350 4Matic with also 292 hp, but now with 765 Nm. Although the four-wheel drive weighs two and a half tons, we are not short on our first introduction to this car. It goes without saying that we are moving forward even faster with the 408 hp and 858 Nm delivering 500 4Matic, but it is not really necessary. It’s especially nice that it’s possible. And then, as icing on the cake, there is also the AMG EQE SUV 43 4 Matic. It peaks at 476 hp and 858 Nm with which it shoots from zero to one hundred km / h in 4.3 seconds. If you think you can manage with less power, you have to be patient, a more modest motorized version (the 300+) is planned for later.

The brave EQE SUV 350+ is a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the other variants also have an electric motor in the front and are therefore 4×4.

Can Americans build good Mercedes?

Like the R-Class of old and the EQS SUV today, Mercedes also builds the EQE SUV in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The interior design is closely related to that of the EQE and EQS. And that means that the spatially designed dashboard is standard equipped with a stand-alone digital instrumentation and a large MBUX screen. The Hyperscreen is also available as an option, the impressive glass screen that extends from door to door. The materials used look neat and tidy. But the positive impression unfortunately changes when touched. Everything feels just a little less high-quality and solid than we expected. When we knock on the dashboard or the center tunnel, there is even a hollow rattling sound. This is not what we are used to from Mercedes. Shame. There is good news for animal lovers: no leather upholstery is used in the Electric Art interior.

The EQE SUV looks neat inside, but the materials used feel cheap.

Is the optional air suspension worth the money?

No. The 350 4Matic and 500 4Matic are equipped with the optional Airmatic air suspension with adaptive damping at our first meeting. This means that the EQE SUV sways quite a bit when dealing with bumps in the road surface. That is not what we mean by comfort. In the sport mode it is a bit tighter, but even then the carriage remains to our taste still moving too much. We notice that it can also be better when we set off with the rear-wheel drive 300+, which is only available with coil springs. Now the chassis is much better. There is peace in the body and the car feels much more stable. Think again before you check air suspension as an option. The same applies to the also optional four-wheel steering. Although the up to 10 degrees of countersteering rear wheels provide greater maneuverability at low speeds, it also entails a slight unrest that we do not experience in the 300+ without four-wheel steering. And at higher speeds, the standard steering works adequately enough to steer the car on a steady course over the asphalt. By leaving the air suspension and four-wheel steering for what they are, you have the better car for less money.

The air suspension is too comfortable for us, we prefer coil springs.

Can you go off-road with this electric SUV?

Yes. As a nice extra, the 4×4 versions have an off-road mode. Not that you can do the same with the EQE SUV as a G-class, but you will get further than with a normal EV. In off-road mode, the electronics ensure that the wheels may slip more or less depending on the surface. The latter is ideal if you want to pull a horse trailer (up to 1,800 kg) from a marshy meadow without plowing it up. In the sand you want a little more slip and the electronics take care of that at that moment. And if you have checked the air suspension when ordering the car, you will receive three centimeters of extra ground clearance. Dakar is still a long way off, but the beginning is there.

The 4×4 versions of the Mercedes EQE SUV have an off-road mode.

Will the EQE SUV get new technology?

Of course. When only a limited part of the engine’s power is used at cruising speed, the front engine is not only switched off but also disconnected from the powertrain. This goes unnoticed and should result in a few percent less consumption. The regular EQE and both EQS’s will get this system in the next model year update, just like a heat pump. The cars going to Japan can charge bidirectionally, which is useful if you want to use the batteries in the car to buffer energy from your solar panels. There are currently no plans to deliver this functionality to us as well.

In Japan, the Mercedes EQE SUV can also charge bidirectionally.

Lots of new gadgets, doesn’t that distract the driver?

Most don’t, the multitude of systems and facilities are there to support the driver. And secretly watching television on the 12.3-inch infotainment screen of the co-driver in the Hyperscreen is not the intention. The sensors that monitor whether you as a driver are still paying attention, also see whether you are watching a film or TV program on the co-driver’s screen. If that is the case, the video or broadcast will be interrupted to remind you to pay attention to the road again. You can bet that a passenger who is disturbed in his or her film will alert you to pay attention to the road again.

Watching a movie with the co-driver is not an option for the driver.

Over-the-air technology (OTA), is that also possible with the Mercedes EQE SUV?

Of course. The EQE SUV is equipped with over-the-air technology (OTA) and is therefore ready for the online purchase of additional functionality for which the necessary hardware is already present. Think of Digital Light where the headlights project information on the road surface, Trailer Maneuvering Assist or the Intelligent Parking Pilot that can park the car autonomously Level 4. Upgrading the car with these functions is of course possible immediately when purchasing the car, after which the options remain unlimitedly usable. You can also purchase them later in the “Mercedes me Store”, for example via the MBUX system in the car or via your telephone, then the functionality will only be available to a limited extent (maximum three years) and you will have to renew in due course. On the other hand: if you only hitch up a trailer during your holiday, you may need a month of Trailer Maneuvering Assist. Not everyone is enthusiastic about paying for functions for which you already have the hardware on board, while that has been established for years with smartphone apps. In any case, Mercedes offers a whole series of OTA apps for the EQE SUV.

Options such as Digital Light can soon also be ordered online: over-the-air technology (OTA).