Introduced last year, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is the electric version of the E Series sedan, but built on Mercedes’ new electric vehicle chassis and made into a crossover-SUV. It shares its platform with several other EQ-designated vehicles. For 2024, the EQE gets a slighly larger battery pack.
The 2024 EQE SUV is a well-done, smooth-driving crossover with Mercedes’ signature luxury at its core. It’s roomy and stylish. There are three versions of the utility with three trim packages each. As with most Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the numerical designation for the model indicates powertrain while the named suffix names its trim point.
To start out, the EQE 350+ has an electric motor that outputs 288 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque to the rear axle. The 4Matic model of the 350 adds another motor to the front wheels, but this doesn’t change HP, just torque output, which raises to 564 lb-ft. Range is EPA-estimated at 253 miles per charge. This base version of the vehicle has solid get-up-and-go to be a daily driver, but doesn’t wander into “sporty” or “powerful” adjectives. we drove the 350+ 4Matic EQE SUV and found it to be a perfect Goldilocks zone of power output: just enough without being too much.
The EQE SUV 500 is all-wheel drive by default, but ups motor output to 402 horsepower and 633 lb-ft of torque. Range remains at 288 miles per charge. The 500 also gets rear-wheel steering and the large, wraparound Hyperscreen digital dashboard as well.
Lastly, the AMG EQE SUV is also AWD, but the two motors combine for a massive 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque output. That’s crazy amounts of muscle for what is essentially a small SUV. Of course, the price jumps over $30,000 from the base model to get to the base version of this AMG model. There are not yet range estimates for this model, but we suspect that kind of power has a pretty deep penalty.
Speaking of battery range, the EQE SUV gets a slightly larger battery pack for 2024. The EQE, when we reviewed it last year, did not reach its expected range in the AWD model we drove. That’s changed, with this new model getting much closer to EPA estimates in the real world.
The starting price for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ SUV begins at about $80,000 plus delivery. For that, you’re getting a pretty well-heeled luxury SUV with a lot of technology. That includes 20-inch wheels, a power-sliding panoramic sunroof, beautiful synthetic leather upholstery, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 15-speaker Burmester audio system. Plus a full suite of advanced safety systems. Things only go up from there. Adaptive cruise control isn’t standard, which we find ridiculous, but you can also add augmented reality navigation, automated lane-change assistance, bigger wheels, semi-automated parking, multipixel digital headlamps, in-cabin air purification.. It’s a pretty long list of upgrade options. Yes, seat massage, heated everything, and lots of USB ports are also on those options lists. The add-ons can get pretty long and the price for them pretty steep. At the kind of price being paid for this luxury SUV, though, we doubt there will be complaints from potential buyers. The end result is that the 2024 EQE SUV is a great drive in any of its formats. It’s extremely comfortable, daily drive usable, and engaging. We like the rear axle steering and adaptive air-enabled suspension especially. The beauty of Mercedes’ electric vehicles is that they’re built from the ground up to be EVs, but they are still just vehicles. The electric part isn’t the focus. That makes all the difference.
This review originally appeared on EVmeme.com.
