Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV makes world debut

The covers have been lifted on the car that Mercedes-Benz Australia has tipped to be its best-selling EV.

Effectively an all-electric version of the popular Mercedes-Benz GLE large SUV, the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV will go on sale Down Under in the third quarter of 2023.

The timeline corresponds with its bigger sibling, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, with which it’s closely related.

carsales had its first look at the EQE SUV at the EQS SUV’s international launch in Denver (USA) last month. It will officially debut at the Paris motor show this week.

In Denver, the Mercedes-Benz execs on hand were at pains to point out that while the EQE SUV shares componentry with the seven-seat EQS SUV, it has unique styling and other changes.

To our eye, the EQE SUV is very much a short-wheelbase version of the EQS SUV – not at all a bad thing. While panels may not be shared, most key components and dimensions are very heavily EQS-based, at the very least.

One key difference is the availability of a bespoke 505kW AMG version of the EQE SUV – AMG’s first dedicated electric SUV.

In the case of the EQS, the top-spec version will wear a Maybach rather than an AMG badge.

As the E suggests, think GLE but battery-powered. Thus the EQE SUV is a resolutely two-row, five-seat large SUV – think of it as the electric GLE.

Wheelbase and overall length are the key dimensional departures from the bigger EQS SUV. Indeed, the EQE sits on a 3030mm wheelbase – 180mm shorter than the EQS and different from its namesake EQE sedan (90mm shorter.) In terms of overall length, it’s 4863mm for the EQE SUV versus 5125mm for the EQS SUV.

Mercedes-Benz says there are no plans for three-row (5+2-seat) versions.

Luggage volume is up to 580 litres as a five-seater, with 1690 litres available with the second row tumbled. This compares well to the current conventional GLE at 630 litres.

By way of comparison, the current-generation GLE is 4930mm long and rides on a 2995mm wheelbase.

No kerb mass has been announced for the EQE SUV – expect in the region of 2500kg.

The cockpit, front seats and 40:20:40-split folding rear bench are all but identical to those in the EQS.

Mercedes-Benz’s new, full-width Hyperscreen will be an option and the EQE SUV’s updated MBUX II interface, improved voice assistance, over-the-air updates and subscription-based add-ons will also be offered.

There’s a modest decrease in headroom and Mercedes-Benz stylists suggest the C-pillar is on a different angle, but our initial investigations suggest the tailgate is shared across the two vehicles.

There are some styling tweaks, however. For starters the EQS SUV’s clamshell bonnet has been swapped for a more conventional bonnet/front guard arrangement. The bonnet itself has a more defined power dome.

Just like the EQS, however, there’s no storage space under that bonnet – in fact, owners can’t even easily open it; instead there’s a remote panel to fill the wiper reservoir.

The platform upon which the EQE SUV is built is shared with the EQS SUV. Double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension is retained, the latter with the option of up to 10-degrees of rear steer. The turning circle of EQS EUVs with rear steer is reduced from 12.3 to 10.5m.

Braking systems – both mechanical and regenerative – are essentially carried over.

Air suspension with continuously adjustable damping will be fitted to most variants, offering the ability to increase ground clearance by up to 25mm.

Drive programs include an off-road mode, a la the EQS SUV, for 4MATIC twin-motor all-wheel drive versions.

A rear axle steering system with a maximum steering angle of 10 degrees is also available as an option, as are a range of wheel designs and sizes from 19- to 22-inch.

The EQE SUV is also not quite as aerodynamically efficient as its big brother. In many markets the EQS SUV’s flush-fit door-handles will be an option, for example.

Despite this fact there’s still significant attention to airflow over and under the big all-wheel drive wagon.

There are, however, noteworthy powertrain differences between the EQE and EQS SUVs.

These are a result of the smaller, shorter, 10-module 90.6kWh battery that underpins the EQE. Thus, due to the smaller battery, the EQE SUV runs on a 330V system as opposed to the 12-module EQS SUV’s 400V set-up. This voltage difference is purely a function of battery configuration.

While Mercedes-Benz is still to release full tech details of the EQS SUV, it has claimed a WLTP range of more than 550km for non-AMG variants. Max DC fast-charging is 170kW compared to 200 for the EQS SUV – again a function of the downsized battery.

Single- and twin-motor powertrains will be offered; the former a rear-drive variant that is likely to come Down Under (see below).

Unlike the EQS SUV, twin-motor EQE variants can uncouple either axle, depending on the vehicle’s assessment of the most efficient option. In the case of the EQS, only the front axle can be decoupled in normal use.

While the EQS SUV will be built solely in Mercedes-Benz’s Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama (USA), the EQE will be built both there and in China. Australian EQE SUVs will be sourced from the US at this time.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is quietly confident the EQE SUV line-up will resonate with its customers and soon become the brand’s best-selling battery-electric model family.

Given the marque will have a range of at least seven EVs from small to large – in both sedan and SUV body styles –when the EQS SUV debuts, that’s an at least somewhat bold claim. More so, given the fact the EQE SUV line-up is hardly mass-market in terms of starting price.

Officially, the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV line-up is still to be confirmed, however, carsales understands that at least three models will make it Down Under.

Tipped to kick off the line-up is a rear drive EQE SUV 300 priced from around $160,000. Next up, the EQE SUV 500 4MATIC will inherit a 330kW/855Nm from the mid-grade EQS SUV earmarked but not confirmed for Australia, and hit dealers at circa $200,000.

Meanwhile, expect to pay around $250K for the top-spec 505kW/1000Nm Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV 53 4MATIC+.

Mercedes-Benz Australia insiders suggest the entry-level EQE SUV 300 will likely offer both superior performance and range to the aging EQC 400 – and be closely matched in price when spec-adjusted.

With the EQC 400 not due for replacement until 2025, expect it to quietly disappear from local showrooms in favour of the EQE.

It’s worth noting that Mercedes-Benz USA has to date excluded the EQC 400 from its line-up.

According to Mercedes-Benz Electric Vehicle Architecture exec, Holger Enzmann, work started on the EQS and EQE SUVs in 2015. He says the vehicles are a “turning point” for the brand.

“We started in 2015 and I guess it was a turning point for Mercedes-Benz – the first architecture that was fully electrified. And also a turning point in terms of software with Hyperscreen and a complete new HMI,” Enzmann explained.

“We’re really happy and proud about the vehicles. [But] It’s important for us that the customer can sit in the car and start driving and then explore. Nothing is distracting – you can hit the right buttons in the right place and then you can start to see all the functions.”

Enzmann said it was important the EQS and EQS SUVs remain true to the brand’s core product attributes.

“At the end of it, it should be a Mercedes,” he said.

“The number, the naming [of these electric SUVs] also references to our S-Class or E-Class. It’s important that our customers have the right feeling, the NVH, the behaviours, the ride of the vehicle [needs to be that] of an S-Class or E-Class.

“Driving the car is to me the most important thing,” he stated.