Mercedes-Benz EQE review

Introduction

If you’re familiar with the EQS as an all-electric alternative to the Mercedes S-Class, you'll win no prizes for guessing that the EQE is a slightly smaller variant.

Although it’s not an E-Class with an electric motor shoved into it, it compliments the E-Class range in the same way that the EQS does with the larger S-Class.

That means it’s a mid-sized all-electric saloon, measuring around 9cm shorter in length than its larger sibling.

But, like the EQS, it’s built on an all-new platform. This enables Mercedes-Benz to produce an optimal design in terms of accommodating electric motors and batteries rather than making do with the shape of a car built for a combustion engine.

At A Glance

The EQE’s looks are somewhat divisive.

Like the EQS, its body is bulbous and, rather than having a notable shape to the bonnet and boot, it looks almost like one giant bubble car from some angles.

Because the front features an all-black panel in place of the conventional grille, the lack of lines or spokes you’d usually see gives it a minimalistic appearance.

There are styled air intakes at the edges, a wide lower grille with the bodywork arching above it, and two headlights sweep around from the sides.

There is a prominent crease and indentation in the lower third of the doors, with side skirts giving the appearance of a lower ride height.

Around the back, the rear lights connect to each side via a horizontal LED bar, complemented by a diffuser at the bottom.

It is undoubtedly stylish and does, to some extent, look like you’d expect a Mercedes to.

Nevertheless, the futuristic aesthetics give off a vibe of an awkward halfway house between a saloon and a small SUV, so it may not be to everyone’s tastes.

The EQS is officially the most aerodynamically efficient production car in the world. And the EQE runs it close, with a drag coefficient of 0.22 compared with the EQS’s 0.209. And both beat the Tesla Model S’s 0.23.

Key Features

The Mercedes EQE comes packed with kit and the latest safety technology systems, which we’ll come on to later.

There are four main trims to choose from.

Entry-level is AMG Line, which includes 19-inch alloys, a panoramic roof, a Nappa leather sports steering wheel, steel sports pedals and heated leather front sports seats. You also get automatic dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with SatNav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument screen and a reversing camera.

Next up is AMG Line Premium, which upgrades to 20-inch alloys and adds 64-colour ambient lighting, keyless go, memory seats, automatic four-zone climate control and a driving assistance package which includes some semi-autonomous driving aids.

AMG Line Premium Plus increases the rims to 21-inches, adding air suspension, a patterned grille, an acoustic comfort package, a head-up display, and a heated windscreen. You also get a Burmester surround sound system, augmented reality SatNav, voice assistant, parking assists with a 360-degree camera and driving assistance package plus.

Top-of-the-range Exclusive Luxury adds chrome styling to the exterior, including climatised front comfort seats, a heated steering wheel and heated back seats, Nappa leather and a wooden panel on the dashboard. For comfort purposes, the alloys are downgraded to 20-inches.

In terms of powertrains, we're testing the EQE 350+, which is rear-wheel drive, boasting 292PS and a 0-62mph of 6.4-seconds.

Other variants also likely to be offered include the EQE 300, with a single rear-wheel drive motor, producing 245PS, getting from 0-62mph in 7.3-seconds.

We may also see the all-wheel-drive 500 4MATIC, which has 408PS and a 0-62mph time of 5.6-seconds.

Rear-wheel steering is available in mainland Europe, but this feature hasn't yet found its way to the models launched in the UK.

If all of the above is insufficient, then there are 'true' AMG versions available, too, in Touring and Night Edition trims. Still, they're significantly more expensive, coming with two motors with all-wheel drive, producing an almighty 625PS.

Range & Batteries

The range depends on the powertrain, but is between 356 and 394 miles.

These figures will fluctuate a lot as they depend on various factors, including ambient temperature, road and weather conditions and, in particular, your driving style.

The battery is 90kWh, which is 18kWh smaller than the battery in the larger EQS.

Performance & Drive

From a standing start, the acceleration off the line feels quite fierce if you floor it.

Of course, the AMG all-wheel drive version will make its pace seem like a canal boat. But in the absence of one of those drag racing you away from the traffic lights, it feels well planted when pulling away off the line.

There are four driving settings: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual, which affect the responsiveness of the accelerator pedal and adjust the firmness of the suspension.

As you'd imagine, Eco reigns in power as much as possible to conserve the battery and prioritises an absorbing ride. In contrast, Sport does the exact opposite, with Comfort lying somewhere between.

Individual mode enables you to customise various features to your preferences through the touchscreens.

In terms of ride comfort, the EQE is a joy to behold. But that’s no doubt helped by the air suspension, which is included on AMG Line Premium Plus and the Exclusive Luxury variants.

It glides over bumps and potholes as if they’re not even there. Okay, that's an exaggeration, but it rides impeccably well.

Even without air suspension, the Merc is easily on par with the E-Class.

When tackling corners, the steering weights up nicely, and the body roll is well controlled, making it reasonably good to drive, especially considering the car is only 125kg lighter than an EQS.

Of course, it’s still a big, heavy machine, so it does have its limits, but for a car of its size, the handling is impressive.

There is also tonnes of grip, with even poorer roads and damp conditions doing little to prevent it from getting its power down.

Various clever systems all work harmoniously to give you some form of semi-autonomous driving.

It uses the SatNav and sensors to know when to brake, advises when to take your foot off the accelerator, and can navigate you automatically to charging points if the battery levels are getting low.

The regenerative braking is also intelligent. It adjusts braking depending on the vehicles in front of you or even the road layout if there's a clear road ahead.

While this makes the braking a little unpredictable, you eventually learn to trust that the car knows what it's doing. However, you have to apply the final touch to make it stop if there's nothing in front of you. If there is, the adaptive cruise control can stop the car unaided if it's enabled.

The ferocity of the braking force is adjusted by paddles behind the steering wheel in place of conventional gear shifters in a combustion-engined vehicle.

The lowest setting results in barely any braking force, while the highest setting feels like you’ve slammed the brakes on.

Overall, the EQE is a superbly comfortable cruiser which can be pretty engaging to drive.

To say it’s fun to drive exaggerates its handling characteristics, but we imagine the true AMG versions will up the entertainment levels.

Charging

The EQE will charge at speeds of up to 170kW, which is 30kW slower than the EQS. But the charging times aren't too dissimilar as the EQE's battery is more petite.

That means you can get from a 10-80% charge in around 35 minutes, while a home 7.4kW wall box will take around 14.5-hours to get from 0-100%.

Mercedes-Benz will install one of these for a fee. It is worth it, though, as charging off a regular three-pin plug socket is only suitable if you're not going out at all at the weekend, as it takes over 40 hours.

For more information read our Complete Guide to Electric Car Charging.

Running Costs & Emissions

Of course, daily running costs for electric cars are meagre.

What is more, the zero-emissions make the EQE an excellent choice for company car users as the Benefit In Kind tax is as low as possible. Plus, there's nothing to pay for road tax, at least for the foreseeable future.

But large wheels mean tyres will be expensive to replace, as will the brake pads. And servicing costs are likely to be in the low-to-medium hundreds.

As it’s a brand-new car, the EQE is somewhat unknown regarding reliability, but although the whole EQ range is too new to know for sure, no significant problems have been reported so far.

Sadly, Mercedes isn't a mega-reliable brand nowadays, despite the continued misconception that German manufacturers are among the best. They used to be, but not anymore.

Nevertheless, maybe a new platform and new powertrains will be enough to turn the tide back towards better dependability.

Interior & Technology

Like the EQS, the EQE’s interior is impressive and looks virtually identical, just a bit smaller.

Rather than a standard dashboard, it looks like someone has bolted a couple of tablets behind the steering wheel and on the centre console.

That description doesn’t do it justice, though, as it looks the part.

While the 12.3-inch digital instrument screen behind the reassuringly thick steering wheel may grab your attention when you first step inside, it's the infotainment tablet that's superb.

Although it looks like an iPad has been fixed onto the dash, the centre console blends into it perfectly, as if it’s one whole piece – and the effect is stunning.

It oozes class and poshness, with gloss piano black styling, while a good blend of wooden trim, silver aluminium and rounded jet-engine air vents make it so very appealing.

Admittedly, the piano black might be less desirable once lots of fingerprints get on it, but if you're the type to keep your motor clean, it'll be a joy to look at on the inside.

Practicality & Boot Space

There is lots of room up front for the driver and, despite a wide centre console, space is never at a premium.

The front seats are superbly comfy, while the driving position is relatively low, which performance car enthusiasts will welcome.

In the back, the sloping roofline does limit headroom quite a bit, not helped by the panoramic roof, which cuts into the available space.

Nevertheless, there’s a decent amount of legroom in the back, and the flat floor will encourage rear-seat passengers to sprawl out a bit.

There is sufficient storage inside the cabin, with a very wide cubby in the centre console, while a wireless phone charger and USB ports are hidden behind a lid beneath the infotainment screen.

Visibility out of the front is reasonable, but out of the back, the shape of the roofline maximises the extent to which the rear pillars get in the way, so you’ll be grateful for the rear-view camera and parking sensors.

Boot space measures 430 litres, which expands to 895 litres with the rear seats folded down.

You may find the saloon-style boot opening tricky if you need to fit larger objects, whereas the EQS has a more practical hatchback opening.

However, an EQE SUV is on its way soon, which may be worth waiting for if convenience and luggage space are higher up your priority list.

Safety

It is so new that the EQE is yet to be put through its paces by crash-testing specialists at Euro NCAP. But the larger EQS was given a five-star rating, earning some of the most impressive percentage grades to date.

It scored 96% for adult occupants, 91% for children, 76% for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, and 80% for safety assists.

The EQE comes loaded with technology, which includes an emergency calling system and traffic sign recognition on the entry-level AMG Line model.

AMG Line Premium models get the driving assistance package, including blind-spot assist, active distance assist (which provides automatic emergency braking at speeds of up to 80mph), plus lane keep assist.

AMG Line Premium Plus and above have semi-autonomous driving features, including slowing down for roundabouts and around bends, while evasive steering assist is also included.

Active blind spot assist is thrown in, too, along with active brake assist with cross-traffic function; automatic speed limit assist, traffic sign assist and congestion emergency braking.

Options

There are barely any options to pick from on the EQE.

By default, the car comes in black paint. Other shades are available, including white, red, grey, dark grey, black metallic, silver and blue, but they're pricey, and some can stretch into four figures.

You can get a child seat and a cool box, but if that doesn't whet the appetite much, there is one add-on that technophiles will want to take a look at: the Hyperscreen.

It effectively replaces the conventional dashboard and tablets with one giant 55-inch panel with three screens embedded within it.

Mercedes-Benz is currently limiting its availability due to the ongoing international shortage of semiconductors, so at least it'll give you some time to think about it.

However, you’ll be grateful for that time, as it’s one of the most expensive optional extras on the market.

It is so steep that we priced up a ten-year-old E-Class (the whole car) for the same money. With reasonable mileage, too.

Rival Cars

You can’t look very far down the electric car rabbit hole without looking at Tesla.

The EQE is gunning for the Model S, and, in terms of the amount of technology in the car, it suggests that Mercedes has tried its hardest to beat it.

The BMW i7 is also a worthy rival, although it might be more suited to those considering a larger car, in which case the Mercedes EQS is worth looking at, too.

Of course, there’s the plain old combustion-engined E-Class and its rivals, the BMW 5-Series, and the Audi A6, none of which are available as all-electric cars. But all three have a selection of economical plug-in hybrids.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is a stunning car with no shortage of ways to wow you.

Its looks may be a bit hit-and-miss, but the interior design is superbly glorious, far more so than an E-Class.

It is cheap to run despite the rising price of electricity. And, as long as you're not carrying very tall passengers a lot, it'll more than suffice for taking the family away on road trips.

Tesla sets the bar high, but the EQE takes it to a new level, although Mercedes has focused so much on beating Tesla’s tech that it risks overreaching itself.

While it's undoubtedly awe-inspiring, it's a car for the PlayStation generation and won't suit technophobes who lack the intuition to find their way around menus and settings.

But, if that doesn’t put you off and you've got an appetite for heading into the future, the EQE could provide the perfect tonic.

Where to next?

View our latest Mercedes-Benz EQE Leasing Deals  - from just £903.33 per month inc VAT**

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*Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top five leading independent car website reviews of the Mercedes-Benz EQE

**Correct as of 07/11/2022. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments or £8,129.97 Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.