Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 delivers refinement and performance in equal measures

When Mercedes-EQ launched the EQE 350+, everyone expected it to be a more agile version of the even larger EQS fastback. Instead, it feels like a smaller variant of the EQS.

That's not necessarily a bad thing since most buyers in this segment would enjoy the feel of a larger, plusher saloon in a more compact package. But at the same time, it seemed like a missed opportunity to give the EQE its own identity.

Perhaps that's why the EQE 43 was created. The middle child of the EQE line-up (there's an EQE 53, too) delivers spicier performance, but always in a measured manner that allows you to still want more.

Balance and delivery

Making an EV go fast is relatively easy today. Give the car a larger battery pack and a more powerful electric motor (or motors), and the model has the potential to scorch tarmac.

However, a car like the EQS 53, which has too many ponies and is too quick for regular roads, is only fun for a while. You can only churn so many stomachs and leave your passengers' organs behind that many times before the novelty wears off and the experience becomes stale.

It's like eating spicy food. Too much chilli eventually dulls your taste buds to the other flavours in the dish and eventually leaves you in pain. The point is, there must be room for you to want more.

Now, that may seem hard to believe when you see the EQE 43's outputs. The 469bhp is certainly more than adequate, while the 858Nm of torque are numbers for a truck designed to tow a double decker bus. With 4Matic all-wheel drive, the car finishes the century sprint in 4.2 seconds. Sounds like overkill, right?

Figures don't tell the whole story, though, for it's how they're delivered that lets the driver decide whether the car is responsive, balanced, manic or maniacal.

The EQE, despite its capabilities, is surprisingly balanced. Even with the Drive Mode set to Sport+, pinning the accelerator pedal to the floor doesn't result in neck-snapping, scream-inducing acceleration.

The only thing that snaps to the right is the needle on the digital power gauge, as it indicates your demand for 100 per cent power. Even so, the car gains speed steadily, not abruptly. The car's 2,525kg mass has much to do with this.

With so much sheet metal to move, rapid directional changes were never going to be the EQE 43's strong suit. It can take a fair amount of ham-fisted driving, but it still moves like a muscular pro-wrestler instead of a lithe ballerina. There's some nice feedback from the helm, though.

Hauling the car down from speed are 415mm brake discs with four-piston callipers in front and 378mm discs with single-piston callipers in the rear. Don't just rely on these beefy items, though. It's best to let the regenerative braking handle most of the duties, while you utilise the conventional brakes for low to moderate speeds.

AMG Ride Control+ air suspension does a good job dealing with woolly surfaces. Firming up the dampers accords you more body control at the expense of ride quality, but given the vehicle's dimensions and weight, the Comfort setting is more ideal.

Besides, since Mercedes never positioned the EQE 43 in Singapore as a sporty executive saloon, the car can be defined by how it behaves instead of how it's marketed.

From boardroom to gym

The EQE 43 is an executive with athletic leanings. By day, it's a consummate professional in a neatly pressed suit. It makes tedious office commutes relatively painless. It surrounds you in soft materials, wraps you in your preferred mood lighting hues and envelops you in your favourite music, so you reach the office less stressed.

And when the mood strikes, perhaps on a late-night drive, you can bid it to loosen its tie and prod the accelerator to quietly whoosh past slower traffic with ease. This is the personality I expected from an EQE all along.

Crucially, it does all this without overwhelming your senses or abilities, so that every drive can remain interesting. Like a dish with just enough spice, the EQE 43 gives you room to want more.

What we like

• Sublime refinement
• Responsive, measured power delivery
• Fast but not overwhelming
• More engaging than EQE 350+

What we dislike

• Firm-ish ride
• MBUX Hyperscreen is overkill
• No soft-closing doors

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This article was first published in sgCarMart.