If you are looking for a luxury SUV with a powerful battery-electric drive system, the Mercedes EQE is an intriguing option to consider.
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So, you are looking for a roomy five-passenger luxury SUV, and you want it to be fully-electric. There is no Tesla that fits that description. The Tesla folks bite back should anyone accidentally call their favorite a “Luxury vehicle.” Thankfully, Mercedes-Benz and its fans proudly embrace its
luxury status. If you want a true luxury vehicle, and you want it to be battery-electric, find your closest Mercedes-Benz dealer and head on over.
We Review Mercedes-Benz’ EQS Massive 44-inch Infotainment Screen Array
EQE - What Is It?
The EQE is a pair of vehicles built on the same platform using mostly the same parts. There is a sedan and also an SUV. We had a chance to check out the SUV. We found it to be quite large inside in all regards. Roomy, if you will. Based on our impressions, it’s a bit bigger than a Tesla Model Y.
EQE - 1st Thing To Know - It’s a “Real” Luxury Vehicle
If you want luxury, you’ve found it. Premium materials, premium lighting in side and out, and lots of fancy features. You can get real leather, not plastic seats. The optional headliner is made of microfiber. It’s a Mercedes, so by law, it must have at least one or two AMG features. Ours had AMG wheels. Fancy!
The EQE 500 also has the ride quality of a luxury vehicle. Unlike the Model Y, which is so firm many owners complain about it or seek solutions inside Model Y clubs, the Mercedes-Benze EQE 500 is smooth and comfortable over bumps of any type.
EQE - 2nd Thing To Know - It’s High Tech, But Easy To Use
One of the trickiest combinations for an automaker to pull off is high-tech by easy. Mercedes-Benz succeeds with the EQE. If you’ve had any exposure to any infotainment systems in the past decade, you won’t find the EQE confusing to just jump in and drive. Yet, you can probably spend a month familiarizing yourself with all of its myriad settings and adjustments. For us, the only tricky part to adjust to was having the P N D stalk on the column.
EQE - 3rd Thing To Know - Chances Are, It’s The Fastest SUV You Have Ever Been In
The great thing about electric vehicles is the amazing torque. The EQE 500 has about the same amount of torque as a Dodge SRT Challenger Hellcat. This thing can launch like a cannonball or purr like a kitten. It’s your call. The only gas-powered SUV we have ever driven that can match the EQE's performance is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Bonus - 4rth Thing To Know
We roped you in with the catchy “3-Things” headline, but you probably want to know how much to move into your checking account for the transaction. Our tester had a sticker price of $108,920. That’s roughly $20K over the starting MSRP.
EQE - Our Verdict
We continue to be impressed with the application of BEV performance to the luxury SUV market. If you want one, we suggest Mercedes-Benz, which offers three separate models from which you can choose. Based on our testing, no company is doing luxury EVs better than Mercedes-Benz today.
John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can follow John on Twitter, and connect with him at Linkedin.
Image of EQE courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
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