Electric Luxury Cruise | Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV Review

Salzburg – With the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV, the Stuttgart-based car maker has entered the all-electric arena with a high-class, mid-size SUV. In my first test, I’ll find out whether the electric vehicle lives up to its premium name–and its six-figure price tag …

The Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV has an undoubtedly grand presence. Further enhancing its bold appearance are black-painted 22-inch AMG light-alloy wheels with a high-sheen finish on the outside. The Night Package complements the exterior with black design elements that give the EQE additional dynamism. As a result, the e-SUV stands imposingly in front of me without appearing cumbersome. The ‘sodalite blue’ colour stands out refreshingly from the uniform black and grey of the upmarket SUV segment. Depending on the lighting, the metallic paint sometimes changes its colour significantly.

Through Pappas Austria, I was able to test drive the almost 4.9 metre (16-foot) long, all-wheel drive SUV with the top equipment line: ‘AMG Line Premium Plus’. I was able to pick up the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV at the Salzburg location of the car dealership. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, Pappas offers cars from the AMG, Jeep and Smart brands. The company has 21 sales and service locations throughout Austria.

EQE SUV – TOO HEAVY FOR A DYNAMIC DRIVING MACHINE?

The EQE SUV is based on the in-house EVA2 platform, which was developed for electric models in the upper mid-range and luxury class. This will continue to be the case for some time, as the new MB.EA architecture planned for 2028 will not materialise for cost reasons.

My test drive on the winding Hochkönig road showed that the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV is surprisingly sporty and light-footed for a 2.6-tonne vehicle. The road holding is also excellent thanks to the air suspension. In Sport Mode, I was able to achieve impressive cornering speeds for an SUV. Despite the manageable power output of ‘only’ 215 kW (292 PS), the e-SUV accelerates vehemently upon hitting the pedal–so much so that it launched me back unexpectedly into the seat– and the acceleration is accompanied by a sonorous engine noise produced interactively by a sound generator. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h takes just 6.6 seconds. On German motorways, speeds of up to 210 km/h are possible.

The high-end ‘Digital Light’ headlights, which are connected by a light strip, are each equipped with three extremely powerful LEDs that disperse light with the help of 1.3 million micromirrors. This enables precise light distribution, optimizing the lighting by adapting it to the traffic at hand. Another very convenient feature is the rear axle steering. With a steering angle of up to ten degrees, the turning circle is reduced from 12.3 to 10.5 metres (40 to 34 feet). I tried it out and found it pretty amazing.

HIGH-GRADE MATERIALS IN A CLASSY INTERIOR

The interior took a very classic approach to design. The dignified leather seats and the large wooden panelling on the dashboard exude an extremely elegant flair. Only the highest quality materials are used. The 12.3-inch driver’s display and the slim 12.8-inch OLED central display add a modern touch. All in all, there is a familiar, comfortable atmosphere in the interior.

The leather steering wheel is very comfortable to hold. However, many functions can only be operated by swiping, which I found a bit impractical on the small surfaces provided. A smartphone can be charged inductively in the centre console with its glossy black cover. The compartment for this is a little awkward to reach past the cup holders. Otherwise, the overall handling is very convenient and clearly organised. Two USB-C ports provide additional charging options. There are easily accessible large storage compartments under the centre console and armrest. Rear passengers also have plenty of space and can adjust the climate control separately for the left and right-hand areas via a separate display.

The boot capacity of 520 litres can be increased to 1,675 litres by folding down the rear seat bench. Although the storage space is fairly limited for the size of the vehicle, it is reasonably large. There is a large compartment under the boot floor for stowing charging cables.

MBUX HYPERSCREEN – IS IT WORTH THE PRICE?

For an extra charge of €5,880 (in the UK and US only available as standard for the EQE 500 and AMG EQE SUV) the dashboard is transformed into a futuristic cockpit (second and third photo). The so-called MBUX Hyperscreen comprises three screens which are located under a seamless glass cover. I photographed the 141-centimetre-wide (55.5 inch) screen strip in an AMG EQS 53 4matic+, which uses an identically-designed screen. In addition to the 12.3-inch driver’s display, there is a 17.7-inch OLED centre display in the middle. As soon as a front passenger takes a seat, they have the option of activating the 12.3-inch front passenger display.

For fans of the classic look, I recommend the standard version with two displays and the elegant wood panelling. Even this version provides all the information very clearly and also offers some practical buttons at the bottom of the centre display. The techies out there may opt for the

ultra-modern hyperscreen, although they should be aware of the risk of sensory overload, which can lead to dangerous distractions from the road. This is somewhat helped by the locking mechanism of the passenger screen, which uses a camera to prevent the driver from looking at this display for longer than two seconds.

RANGE AND CHARGING CAPABILITIES OF THE EQE SUV

The test took place almost exclusively on country roads. There was no motorway this time. Over a total distance of 440 kilometres (273 miles), the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV consumed an average of 22 kWh/100 km. This results in a range of 400 kilometres (248.5 miles) with the 90.6 kW battery.

I made my first charging stop at a 22 kW charging station operated by Salzburg AG in Leogang using the optional 22 kW AC charger installed in the test vehicle. With a battery level of 57 per cent, the EQE SUV’s display predicted exactly two hours to 100 per cent SoC – a very realistic value given the charging power, which even undercuts the factory specification of 4:48 hours to charge from ten to 100 per cent.

After a drive through the Salzkammergut, I arrived at the Hub Designer Outlet Salzburg with 18 per cent SoC. Smatrics provides eight new Hyperchargers there with a charging capacity of up to 400 kW. According to the display, the maximum charging power of 173 kW was reached at 28 per cent battery level and the battery was charged from 18 to 80 per cent in 28:35 minutes. In this time, the EQE had charged 61.76 kWh. Mercedes-Benz officially lists a maximum possible charging capacity of 170 kW.

ARMIN ELECTRIC CONCLUSIO

The Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV is very well designed both inside and out. It also has a very sophisticated technical appearance. The interior is of the utmost quality, and the comfort is also first-class. For its high weight and moderate performance, the EQE SUV is very agile and dynamic to drive. Notably, the driver assistance systems are also very advanced. This was especially apparent to me with the adaptive cruise control, which anticipates the upcoming speed limits and adapts the speed to the course of the road.

The range is perfectly adequate for everyday use. On the motorway, however, it will run its course after 350 kilometres (217.5 miles) at the latest. For a very high-class EV like the EQE SUV, that leaves me expecting a little more. The same applies to the maximum charging capacity for a vehicle in this price range. The base price of the Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4matic SUV in Austria is

€85,990 (£79,995 in the UK, $79,050 in the US) before deduction of subsidies. The test vehicle costs just under €120,000 with extensive optional add-ons. In short, the electric luxury liner is “premium” in just about every respect.