Mercedes-EQ EQE SUV announced

Mercedes-Benz has continued its major push for electrification, with its electric offshoot brand Mercedes-EQ unveiling its latest addition, the EQE SUV.

The BMW iX-rival is set to go on sale in Europe early next year, and while a Singapore launch date has not been confirmed yet, we speculate that it should arrive somewhere in the second half of 2023.

The EQE SUV is the fourth Mercedes-EQ model to sit on the brand’s Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) platform, following on from the EQS, EQE and EQS SUV.

While it is nominally the SUV version of the EQE sedan, in the same way the GLE is to the E-Class, Mercedes-Benz’s 'same sausage different size' design philosophy means that the EQE SUV looks like a smaller version of the EQS SUV that was unveiled earlier this year, or an upsized EQA.

The main difference between the EQE and EQS SUVs is obviously the size, but the EQE SUV also has a slightly more sloped and angled rear end due to the shortened length.

It also features a pair of bonnet bulges to mark itself out, but aside from that, the EQE SUV looks near identical to its larger sibling, with its smoothed-out 'grille', slim headlights, and full-length taillight bar at the rear.

The EQE SUV will be offered with up to five drivetrain options, including two AMG variants. The entry-level model is the EQE 350+ SUV, which will have a single rear-wheel-drive motor that produces 288hp and 565Nm of torque, and is good for a range of between 480 to 590km.

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The next model up is the dual-motor EQE 350 4Matic SUV, which will have a dual-motor setup that powers all four wheels. Despite the extra motor, it produces the same output as the EQE 350+ SUV at 288hp, but develops more torque, at 765Nm, and offers a range of between 459 to 558km.

The most powerful non-AMG variant is the EQE 500 4Matic SUV, which also features a dual-motor setup, and produces a total of 402hp and 858Nm of torque, with a quoted range of between 460 to 547km.

The AMG variants are the first electric SUVs to emerge from the Mercedes-AMG performance division, and the two models available are the AMG EQE 43 4Matic SUV, and the AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ SUV, both of which will also feature two electric motors and a total usable battery capacity of 90.6kWh. 

The former has an output of 476hp and 858Nm of torque, with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 210km/h, while the latter puts out 626hp and 950Nm of torque (687hp and 1,000Nm respectively with the AMG Dynamic Plus Package), with a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 220km/h.

Range is quoted at between 431 to 488km for the AMG EQE 43 4Matic SUV, and between 375 to 470km for the AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ SUV.

The optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package for the AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ SUV throws in an additional Race Start driving mode with a Boost function that ups the top speed to 240km/h, and adjusts the electric motor system to unlock more power and torque.

Regular EQE SUV models will get adaptive damping suspension, with customers also getting the choice of optioning an air suspension package, which will be standard on the AMG models. Similarly, like the EQS and EQS SUV models, the EQE SUV can be had with optional four-wheel-steering for greater manoeuvrability.

Like the EQE sedan, the EQE SUV can be specced with the Hyperscreen, with the large triple-screen setup that stretches across the dashboard most likely to be offered on the higher-trim AMG cars, and offered as an option to the other variants in the range.

As with all new Mercedes models, the MBUX voice-activated operating system will also be available on the EQE SUV, and the system is able to receive over-the-air updates.

The EQE SUV is the ninth electric vehicle announced by Mercedes-EQ, and the relentless onslaught of EVs is part of Mercedes-Benz’s strategy of having a fully electric model lineup by the end of this decade. To that end, the brand will have three new electric vehicle architectures to underpin its EV models by 2025.

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This article was first published in CarBuyer.