Lisbon, Portugal — The narrow ribbons of pavement along the Portuguese coast are nice, but they don’t do much for the new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. Those twisty roads call attention to the EQE’s slightly firmer ride and nimble handling, never forcing you to switch to dynamic mode and toss his EQE into corners.
But it’s okay. Because when you’re back in town, the EQE will redeem itself perfectly.His optional 10-degree rear-axle steering effectively shortens the wheelbase, making this midsize SUV navigable through Europe’s narrow alleys with ease. make it possible. Never miss a turn with the available augmented reality navigation overlay. Once at his destination, his standard 360-degree camera system makes parallel parking a breeze.
Quiet, luxurious and easy to drive. In 95% of EQE SUV use cases, it’s peach. The A-pillars are a bit bulky, but the upright seating position gives you a commanding view of the outside world. SUVs don’t have the annoying high cowls of the EQE and EQS sedans. There is seating for five, supportive chairs wrapped in genuine leather or MB-Tex synthetic fabric upholstery, and a standard panoramic sunroof that lets in plenty of light.
You can get an EQE SUV with Mercedes’ Hyperscreen infotainment system (bottom right), but the standard dual display setup (bottom left) is still feature-rich. There’s a reconfigurable, information-packed 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 12.8-inch central display with a logical menu structure, and the ability to run both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. I prefer setups without hyperscreen. auto blogGiven the EQE SUV with enough digital space to satisfy techno-geeks and with its open-pore wood trim, the dashboard overall looks very nice. With the same great level of fit and finish as the , this cabin is also fully functional. The center console has a deep storage pocket with a small cargo area underneath and two USB-C ports.
Three versions of the EQE will be available when the SUV goes on sale this spring, all powered by a 90.6-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The EQE 350+ has a single motor mounted on the rear axle that produces 288 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque. 4Matic all-wheel drive adds his second electric motor to the front axle, increasing gross power to 288 hp and 564 lb-ft. But the front drive unit comes with a 335-pound weight penalty, so his more powerful EQE 350 4Matic goes 60 mph a tenth of a second faster.
Unlike the EQE sedan, the EQE SUV’s all-wheel drive system is a free option. Given the extra power and traction provided by the 4Matic, that might seem like a natural move, but there are range penalties to consider.Mercedes-Benz says the rear-wheel drive EQE 350+ It can travel 279 miles on a full charge, but the EQE 350 4Matic reduces that range to 253 miles. To make it work more efficiently, the 4Matic relies on the rear-drive motor only at light loads for normal operation, so it’s not his always-on AWD system. Really, unless you live in a place where bad weather prowess is a must, I’d probably stick with the 350+.
At the wheel, you can’t really tell the difference between the EQE 350+ and the EQE 350 4Matic. These SUVs drive similarly, with a slightly firmer ride, even with the optional air suspension, and light and precise steering. Three stages of regenerative braking are available and can be switched via the shift paddles. But be careful. The EQE SUV has the same stupid adaptive brakes as his other EQE and EQS models, with strong regenerative stopping power that actually moves the pedal position, simulating how much pressure your feet normally apply. to I’ve used this a lot now and can’t get used to it. To make matters worse, the pedal feels inconsistent as your feet make contact to gain additional braking power. The whole thing feels strange.
For even more power, Mercedes also builds the EQE 500 SUV, which comes standard with 4Matic all-wheel drive. Here, the electric motors are tuned to produce a total of 402 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque, cutting the EQE 350 4Matic’s 0-to-60 time to 4.7 seconds. Thankfully, the EQE 500 is rated at 269 miles, so range isn’t hit too hard.
Despite being fast, the EQE 500 is no more fun to drive than the 350 model. Yes, the increase in Pass power is nice, but this isn’t an SUV that feels even slightly athletic. Because it comes with a longer list of options, including exterior styles for However, while driver-assist technologies such as blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist are included in all EQEs, even in the EQE 500, adaptive cruise control comes at an additional cost. again.
The EQE 350+ and EQE 350 4Matic are priced at $79,050, including destination $1,150, well below the main rival BMW iX. However, the iX has more power, longer range and a much more interesting interior design. A step up to the EQE 500 will cost $90,650, more than $10,000 less than the base MSRP of the larger EQS 450+ SUV. All his EQE models are divided into Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle grades, with the most expensive EQE 500 4Matic reaching $96,600.
Later this year, Mercedes will introduce an AMG variant of the EQE SUV, with 677 horsepower, active roll stabilizer and proprietary air suspension tuning. Does that make it a more interesting steer? perhaps. But given how comfortable and calm the EQE SUV is, I’m not sure it really matters.
