√2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV revealed with AMG flagship, coming to Australia

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the GLE-sized, Australia-bound electric EQE SUV – headlined by the AMG EQE53, using 505kW/1000Nm to hit 100km/h from standstill in 3.5 seconds.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV electric vehicle has been revealed – headlined by an AMG variant with 505kW and a 3.5-second 0-100km/h time – ahead of an Australian launch next year.

The GLE-sized EQE SUV revealed at the Paris motor show overnight is the final vehicle in the current phase of Mercedes-Benz’s electric-car roll-out – and will be the first electric SUV to get the Mercedes-AMG performance treatment.

Mercedes-Benz revealed two versions of the EQE SUV, which will slot in above the smaller EQC and the larger EQS SUV when it arrives in Australia priced from an estimated $160,000 in the third quarter of 2023 (July to September).

The EQE SUV is a sibling to the EQE sedan revealed globally last year, and the fourth all-new electric vehicle on Mercedes-Benz’s EVA (Electric Vehicle Architecture) chassis.

The EQE sedan is slated to arrive in Australia in EQE 300, 350 4Matic and AMG 53 form from the end of this year – options the EQE SUV may match in Australia, or build on with a higher-output 500 variant.

The EQE SUV may eventually succeed the petrol- and diesel-powered GLE five-door SUV – although they will run in parallel for at least another five years, as Mercedes-Benz progresses its plan to become a CO2-neutral and electric-only car manufacturer.

The EQE SUV will also have to fill the void left by the departure of the smaller EQC SUV, which rumours suggest may end production in May 2023 – and could see Mercedes-Benz Australia without a mid-size electric SUV a few years before a new EQC arrives.

Overseas reports suggest an all-new EQC could launch sometime “around 2025”. If Mercedes follows the cadence it set with the larger EQE and EQS, the next EQC SUV may spawn an EQC passenger car version a year earlier, but this is yet to be confirmed.

The first of two EQE SUVs revealed in Paris is known as a ‘Series’ variant by Mercedes, which means its styling is representative of non-AMG versions.

The EQE SUV’s styling is obviously related to its EQE sedan sibling, with similar design cues in its curved front end, full-width front and rear light bars, and flush door handles.

In fact, it looks a lot like a shrunken version of the bigger EQS SUV too.

Styling is heavily optimised for aerodynamics, including the steeply-raked windscreen pillars and sloping rear roofline. The car’s underbody is also flat, aiding airflow below the vehicle.

The EQE SUV is built on the same architecture as the EQE sedan and larger EQS SUV. It measures 4.86m long, 1.94m wide and 1.69m high. Compared to the Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV, the EQE is 61mm shorter bumper to bumper and has an 86mm lower roofline.

Its wheelbase, however, is 35mm longer, which should yield more interior space, not to mention add to the dynamic advantages of a lower centre of gravity than a comparable internal combustion-engined vehicle.

Interestingly, while the larger EQS sedan and SUV share their wheelbases, the distance between the EQE SUV’s axles is 90mm shorter than the equivalent EQE sedan.

Mercedes-Benz said this is not unusual, instead saying the fact the EQS SUV shares its sedan namesake’s wheelbase is the unusual one.

No motor or battery details were shared for mainstream EQE SUV variants, but the related sedan gives an idea of what to expect.

The EQE300 sedan produces 180kW of power, quotes a 550km range, and can do 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds.

The EQE350 sedan has 215kW and 765Nm paired with a larger 90.6kWh battery. Range is quoted as between 507km and 597km, and 0-100km/h performance is 6.3 seconds.

The EQE500 sedan has approximately 300kW and 858Nm, a driving range of 590km and can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.6s.

Among the scant details released by Mercedes-Benz is a sentence stating that the EQE SUV range will have a driving range “up to 550km”, suggesting that the SUV will not be able to match the performance figures of its sedan namesake.

Mercedes-AMG, however, did share performance data for the EQE53 SUV, confirming it develops 460kW and 950Nm in standard trim – with an available boost function that raises those outputs to 505kW and 1000Nm for short periods, making this machine capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in just 3.5 seconds.

Sources suggest that EQE SUV pricing will kick off with the EQE300 at $150,000 to $160,000 before on-road costs, stretching to $250,000 for the AMG EQE53.

Unlike the sedan, all EQE SUV variants will be fitted with 4Matic all-wheel drive standard.

This system’s intelligent Torque Shift function distributes the drive torque between the front and rear electric motors. It monitors traction 160 times per second and, at maximum power, sends two-thirds of the torque to the rear wheels and one-third to the front.

The EQE will also offer Airmatic air suspension with adjustable dampers to prioritise sporty dynamics or comfort as the mood requires.

As with other EQ models, the EQE will offer a one-pedal driving mode, which provides aggressive energy recuperation that acts like hitting the brake pedal if you lift off the accelerator.

The EQE, like the bigger EQS, will come with optional 10-degree rear-wheel steering to tighten turning circles at low speeds and aid stability at higher speeds. The AMG will fit rear-wheel steering as standard, but limited to nine degrees because of its bigger standard wheel and tyre package.

The rear-wheel steering, and other features including smart trailer manoeuvring and augmented-reality navigation, will be fitted to the car no matter whether the option box is ticked – and instead available as over-the-air (OTA) updates, meaning owners can purchase them after delivery via the Mercedes-Me website and have the features activated over the air overnight.

Maximum charging speed will be 170kW, which is not quite the 200kW per hour of the EQS range – but still fast.

The EQE will carry a lot of luxury equipment to justify its circa-$150,000 price tag, but the very impressive sweeping Hyperscreen seen on the EQS sedan and SUV is likely to be an optional extra on all bar the AMG.

This combination of three screens – a 12.3-inch display in the instrument cluster, a 14.4-inch centrally mounted multimedia display and another 12.3-inch display in front of the passenger, is said to provide almost 1.4m of viewing space and means the front passenger can watch TV without distracting the driver.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the boot space rating will be 520 litres, which is 20 litres more than the BMW iX.

Exact specification and pricing will be released closer to the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV’s Australian launch in late 2023.

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