2 02 3 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E Q E ~ BY J O N AT H O N R A M S E Y
Silent Smoothie The second all-electric Benz is not just a junior EQS.
In the Mercedes-Benz product
constellation, the S and the E are a binary star system. Thus, shortly after the electric EQS sedan comes the new electric EQE. The former is the technological showcase, with the latter serving as its sporty smaller brother. The EQ trademarks of a black fascia panel, a solid light bar across the rear, and a “one-bow” greenhouse that arcs from cowl to tail build the visual connection. The EQE is about nine inches shorter, but its wheelbase shrinks by only 3.5 inches. The battery tucked within that wheelbase is good for 90.6 kilowatt-hours of usable energy and a promised range of 300-plus miles. As on the EQS, the maximum charging rate is 170 kilowatts. The condensed greenhouse constricts the rear-door aperture, requiring a duck of the head to get in. Adult back-seat passengers will find the curved ceiling ever-present in their vision, especially with the underfloor battery pushing the rear hip point 2.6 inches higher than in the E-class. Mercedes helps alleviate the headroom problem by giving the EQE a trunk instead of a hatch as on the EQS, eliminating overhead hinges. With hefty A- and B-pillars, a bunker-slit rear window, and a roofline that cuts the height of the side windows, the EQE is for looking inward rather than out. A standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.8-inch center display are set against a sweeping backdrop of wood or gloss-black trim. The optional Hyperscreen spreads three screens across some 56 inches of curved glass. The interface keeps the systems used most often, such as navigation and audio, on the top level. But there are curious tics: When Skip the 56-inch glass Hyperscreen option the augmented-reality video feed pops up on top and stick with the of the map, it hides the arrow glyph. EQE’s multiscreen The driving experience is everything one setup similar to the S-class and base EQS. expects. The vacuum-of-space silence makes
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THE RUNDOWN
the numbers Vehicle Type: mid-motor, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan Base (C/D est) .............................. $70,000 Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Power ............................................................. 288 hp Torque ......................................................... 391 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 90.6 kWh Transmission: direct-drive Dimensions • Wheelbase ................................................ 122.9 in • L/W/H .................................... 196.6/76.2/59.5 in • Curb Weight ............................................. 5200 lb Performance (C/D est) • 60 mph ....................................................... 5.5 sec • 1/4-Mile .................................................... 14.5 sec • Top Speed ............................................... 130 mph EPA Fuel Economy (C/D est) • Comb/City/Hwy ................... 98/100/96 MPGe • Range .......................................................... 300 mi
the biggest impression—the sedan rides as calm as a crypt. We drove the single-motor EQE350+, which puts out 288 horsepower and 391 pound-feet of torque. We’d formerly consider those middling numbers to move some 5200 pounds, but what a difference electric propulsion makes. (A 402-hp dual-motor EQE500 4Matic and the AMG EQE53 4Matic+ are still to come.) On snaking roads, the sedan hits its sporty-smallerbrother target, thanks to instantaneous torque, optional rear-wheel steering, and a curb weight that makes it a few hundred pounds lighter than the EQS. The advanced driver-assistance systems could use some polish, however. The software exhibited occasional learner’s-permit foibles, such as late braking and skittishness on narrow roads with oncoming traffic. Even so, the EQE is superb. Buyers, though, might want to take a meditation course. The quietude will give them a lot of time with their thoughts. J UNE 2022 ~ CAR AN D DRIV ER
