Review | Mercedes EQE, the Tesla Alternative?
I’m not sure whether you’ve seen this snippet of news, but if you were hankering for a new Tesla Model S saloon or Model X SUV, you’re going to be disappointed. They’ve stopped building right hand drive versions. You can still get a left hooker but, to be honest, only hardened Tesla fans will buy one.
However, with every cloud and all that, there is another option for you - the Mercedes EQE. It’s arguably a better car anyway in terms of value, resale, build quality and reliability.
There are currently three versions of the EQE available in this country, the 300 AMG (232bhp), 350 AMG (288bhp) and AMG 53 (616bhp). The two cars with the lower power both use a single electric motor powering the rear wheels while the 53 model has an electric motor on each axle to provide four-wheel drive. All have the same battery.
The question everyone asks is - what about range? According to Mercedes, the 300 and 350 models will reach around 340 miles while the AMG 53 sees that figure drop to 280 miles. A charge of up to 80 per cent will take around 30 minutes. In other words, for many people that could represent a week’s commute or a long-haul holiday or business trip. I did a fair amount of motorway work and wasn’t being particularly light with the right foot but still managed 265 miles before pulling over with 12 per cent still in the battery.
Needless to say that with 616bhp on tap via all-wheel drive, the AMG 53 is a flying machine with 0-60 taking 3.5 seconds. However, the one I tried, the 300 AMG is no slouch at 7.3 seconds with a top speed of 130mph.
As for trim, the 300 and 350 are available in AMG Line, AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus, with Exclusive Luxury sitting at the top of the range. If you fancy the AMG 53 model, you can opt for Night Edition or Touring.
Prices for the 300 models kick off at £74,345, whereas the 350s cost £3k more and if you’re after the AMG 53 models, they are both priced the same starting at £114,750.
The one I drove was the 232bhp 300 AMG and the first thing that strikes you is the profile. It’s the classic sleeping policeman hump shape which offers as little wind resistance as possible. Not the most inspiring of designs but it’s not offensive. You won’t be attracting a lot of attention, but then again economy is the name of the game, so it’s done for a reason.
Colour choice will be important and black is a good place to start.
The Mercedes EQE uses the same platform as the Mercedes flagship EQS. The best way to think of them is that the EQE is the electric equivalent of the E Class, while the EQS is for buyers who are in S Class territory.
Once you plip the key, the car makes a vaguely threatening humming sound. The kids love it.
When you climb in you’re faced with a seriously hi-tech, swooping fascia, but once you’re used to it, it works well. The infotainment is really good via the laptop sized 12.8-inch touchscreen which is situated on a curved, floating design centre console. There’s haptic feedback whenever you touch anything on the screen which makes it easier to operate than just sliding a finger or prodding frantically. The driver display is almost as big and is really clear to read. I won’t list the amount of kit which comes as standard for the simple reason that you get everything you could sensibly need. The panoramic sunroof is a nice touch, though.
Once you get out onto the road, the first thing you notice is how smooth and comfortable the ride is. Okay, there’s plenty of performance available, but it’s the sort of car where you want to just tick along. It’s seriously quiet too and air suspension is available higher up the range.
Rear visibility isn’t brilliant because the gap between the roof and the parcel shelf is quite narrow. Having said that, the excellent rear camera makes parking a doddle.
The driving experience is good. It never feels particularly sporty, but to be fair to the EQE it’s not meant to be, unless you go for the AMG 53 model. You can alter the amount of regenerative braking by toggling the paddles on the steering wheel. You can opt for one-pedal driving or just leave things in Normal and the car will sort itself out. That’s what I did. If you do floor the throttle, you do get a fairly convincing throaty ‘engine’ note through the loudspeakers.
There’s loads of room in the EQE. It’s a pity the boot isn’t a bit bigger bearing in mind that this is a family car. The boot opening is also narrow, so if you’re taking a trip to the tip, it might not be what you’re hoping for.
As you would expect though, the build quality is top notch.
Mercedes is hammering ahead with the electrification of its range. The EQE is one of only two saloons (the EQS is the other one), so if you like the coupé – saloon styling and want a decent range matched to good performance, you’ll love it. The excellent level of equipment and hi-tech wizardry could sway things for potential buyers and certainly prove to be a big attraction for those miffed Tesla Model S customers who thought their car was taking a bit longer to be delivered than they’d expected…and now won’t be coming at all.
Words: Graham Courtney
Pictures: Mercedes
