In mid-2022, Mercedes will launch the EQE, a 100% electric road sedan whose styling and technical elements are derived from the recent EQS. What give it a habitability worthy of a limousine and allow it to compete with its main rival, the Tesla Model S. Welcome aboard.
At the Munich Motor Show (which will close on September 12), Mercedes deployed the largest fleet of new products, history to impress visitors near the stronghold of its main competitor, BMW. The star brand has gone all out on electrified models and is offering the EQE as a world premiere. If we stick to the nomenclature put in place by Mercedes for its “zero exhaust emissions” models, the EQE is the electric counterpart of the E-Class. However, it is the recent EQS that ‘she is closest.
An aesthetic of EQS
At 4.95 m long, the EQE falls into the category of road sedans. However, this is its only common point with the E-Class. Indeed, the newcomer takes everything from the EQS limousine. So much so that confusion between the two vehicles is not uncommon. The silhouettes are identical: they take on the effect “ one bow ”(in a single movement) going from the headlights to the lights without really breaking. The black and starry grille incorporates LED optics. The stern is barred by a large light strip. The curves on the sides are comparable. The door handles are concealed in the same way. One detail, however, makes the EQE stand out from its big sister: it has a traditional trunk, when the EQS is equipped with a tailgate.
Dimensions of Tesla Model S
The EQE is also smaller than the EQS. When the limousine happily crosses the 5.20 m bar, the newcomer does not exceed 5 m; enough to place it directly in front of a Tesla Model S (4.97 m). On the other hand, concerning the wheelbase, the EQE navigates rather in the upper sphere. Its 3.12 m promise a beautiful habitability.
Limousine habitability
And it is indeed the case: the space devoted to the rear seats is quite simply royal. The ease at the knees is worthy of a limousine. Footwells can be accommodated, even when the front seat is set to the lowest. The headroom is certainly limited because of the elusive roof line of the model, but it remains acceptable. The seats are long and support well under the thighs. The central place will no longer be shunned since it is comfortable and the floor in this place, perfectly flat.
If passengers are treated ideally, luggage may feel cramped in the trunk, which only offers a volume of 430 liters. We are far from the 750 liters of the cargo compartment of the Tesla Model S. As for the build quality, little to complain about both the materials and the assemblies. However, at this level of service, felt in the door bins would have been welcome. We would also have appreciated less play in the rear air conditioning control pad.
The optional hyperscreen
The interior presentation is another common point with the EQS. If the entry-level version has a classic layout (like on the limousine) with a 12.3-inch digital panel for the meters and a 12.8-inch touch screen for the infotainment system, it is possible to opt for the hyperscreen system. It is a slightly curved glass plate measuring 141 cm and going from one windshield pillar to the other. It elegantly integrates the reactor-shaped aerators. These are the only physical parts of this environment. The plate covers three screens: the meters (12.3 ”), the infotainment system (17.7”) and the element facing the passenger (12.3 ”). Provide a cloth to clean the assembly, which will quickly be subject to fingerprints.
Propulsion at launch, full thereafter
For the mechanical part, once again the EQS served as an example. The EQE is thus based on the same EVA2 platform and receives the same technical elements. This allows it to have air suspension and rear wheel steering. Thanks to this architecture, the car can be equipped with an electric motor on each axle giving it four driving wheels. Mercedes will first launch rear-wheel drive versions in mid-2022. The EQE 350 version displays a power of 215 kW (or 292 hp) for a torque of 530 Nm. The electromotor is powered by a 90 kWh battery capable of recharging on fast terminals providing up to 200 kW. Enough to recover 250 km of autonomy in fifteen minutes. The autonomy announced for this first model oscillates between 545 and 660 km. Other versions are expected, and it is not excluded that the AMG branch will take care of the EQE case, as it did for the EQS.
Conclusion: the EQE, a small EQS
That models from the same brand display a certain resemblance, nothing more normal. It is a question of homogeneity. However, between the EQE and the EQS, Mercedes is playing Russian dolls and it is not about to stop. Indeed, the future EQA Sedan should adopt the same style. This strategy certainly allows the EQE to have a cabin as spacious as that of the limousine while remaining within reasonable dimensions, but it also dilutes the personality of the model in the eyes of the consumer. Furthermore, the level of services offered by Mercedes is high, and the presentation of the hyperscreen system is clearly eye-catching, even if some finishing details do not follow. The German is positioned a notch above its main rival, the Tesla Model S. To overshadow the American style, everything will depend on dynamic qualities and prices …
