The EQE SUV derivative range is just as easy to understand. At present, there are two twin-engined versions, the 288bhp 350 and the 402bhp 500, both with 4Matic four-wheel drive, air suspension and adaptive damping. A 617bhp Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 version will come along later.
Prices start at just over £90,000, but our AMG Line Premium Plus model pushes that up to £121,760. So even though Stuttgart makes the similar EQS SUV that’s a size larger and pricier than this, clearly it’s not too shy to ask for very serious money for this car.
But it’s also supplying plenty of advanced technology. There are four trim levels, all with impressive equipment levels; but the top two (Premium Plus and Business Class) are available with two of the car’s most eye-catching technical additions: 10deg four-wheel steering and the so-called Hyperscreen, which in effect combines the displays on three fascia screens to make single 56in display that runs right across the dashboard and gives the front passenger dual control of functions like stereo, navigation and ventilation.
Its mechanical specification is equally rational. Like the EQE and EQS, the EQE SUV is based on Mercedes’ Electric Vehicle Architecture, and it offers familiar motive machinery.
Nothing is unusual about its smooth, rounded design, either. In fact, with a drag coefficient of 0.25Cd, it’s Mercedes’ most aerodynamically efficient SUV to date. New wind-cheating developments include patented elements within the front wheelhouses and a flat belly with various turning vanes.
Along with the standard look, there are of course two sporty AMG Line packages, plus a wide array of alloy wheels, ranging from 19in to 22in in diameter.
The EV is roughly the same length as the combustion-engined GLE, at 4863mm, with a similarly long wheelbase, but it’s also significantly narrower, at 1849mm, and lower, at 1686mm.
