Mercedes EQE SUV Revealed In Paris
Mercedes is embracing the EV revolution with its latest EVA II platform. It is the basis for the EQS and EQE electric sedans, but people don’t want sedans any more, they want SUVs. So in line with the basic rule of sales, which is “Give customers what they want,” Mercedes has already introduced an SUV variant of the EQS, cleverly called the EQS SUV. Now it has officially introduced the SUV variant of the EQE, once again with no nonsense nomenclature. Say hello to the EQE SUV.
Not surprisingly, the sedan and SUV are similar in many ways. The main difference is the EQE SUV has a wheelbase that is 9 centimeters shorter than the sedan and is 13 cm shorter overall. But it is 2 cm taller at 1.69 meters, which Mercedes says makes all the difference. The EQE SUV is “among the most spacious representatives of its class,” according to company while retaining the “essential innovations of the EQS.” It is said to be more dynamic and versatile without sacrificing technology features or luxury. The iconic MBUX Hyperscreen is optional.
No less than five powertrains will be offered. The EQE 350+ is rear-wheel drive only. Its single motor produces 215 kW (288 hp) and 565 Nm (417 ft-lbs) of torque. All other variants have dual motors and have essentially the same oomph as found in the sedan. All versions will have a 91 kWh battery. The single motor car is said to have a range of 590 km WLTP. Add in dual motors, larger wheels and tires, and more options, and range drops to 459 km WLTP.
The most powerful versions carry the AMG badge and feature AMG-specific electric motors plus an AMG air suspension with special roll stabilization and rear-wheel steering. According to Electrive, the rear steer feature lops nearly 2 meters off the car’s turning radius.
Like the EQE sedan, the SUV variant operates on 400 volt architecture and uses NCM811 chemistry. Mercedes offers a 10-year or 250,000 km warranty on the battery. Charging in Europe is standard at 11 kW AC, with 22 kW also available as an option. In the US, the AC charging capacity is 9.6 kW.
The cars can accept up to 170 kW with CCS fast charging. While that is somewhat less than other electric cars on the market, Mercedes claims such high power charging can take place longer than with those other cars thanks to better temperature and charging management.
Multiple charging protocols can be preset and are linked to location data. For instance, drivers may set one standard for charging at home, another for charging at work, and a third for charging while on a trip.
With the optional air suspension (standard on AMG models), the EQE SUV can be raised 30 mm if necessary to increase ground clearance. In the “Comfort” and “Sport” driving modes, on the other hand, the suspension is automatically lowered by ten and 20 mm respectively above 120 km/h to reduce drag and increase driving stability.
Electrive reports that inside there is more headroom for rear seat passengers thanks to the higher roof, but less knee room because of the shorter wheelbase. There is also no frunk, although there is a large HEPA air filter mounted under the hood. All-wheel drive versions have a towing capacity of 1800 kg — same as the larger EQS — but the single motor version is only rated for towing 750 kg.
Mercedes has yet to announce prices for the EQE SUV. Series production is scheduled to begin in December at the Mercedes factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where production of the EQS SUV started at the end of August.
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