Benefiting from the EQS platform, the 100% electric Mercedes sedan is determined to make the big wheels go electric. Can she? We confronted him with a road-trip between France and Switzerland.
The Mercedes EQE surprises. Particularly fluid profile, flush windows, full grille, this sedan offers proportions and volumes that may surprise at first glance. After the surprise, the seduction operates with this sedan of the size of an E-Class or a Tesla Model S.
These original lines are also the result of a lot of work done by Mercedes engineers on aerodynamics. The objective is clear, this Mercedes, which is aimed at large riders, must consume as little electricity as possible, to go as far as possible, without recharging.
A particularly neat interior
Inside also this Mercedes surprises. As often with the manufacturer to the star, we put the package on the interior presentation and the perceived quality. The dashboard receives a specific treatment with a wood of the most beautiful effect. A coating that will be customizable according to the versions and your choices.
The impression of quality is everywhere, Mercedes knows how to do it. The multimedia system is of a very good standard, in particular the navigation, fluid, intuitive, easy to handle, and not only.
Our model does not have the Hyperscreen, this screen covering the entire surface of the dashboard that we saw on the EQS. But the use of the system is still centered around the MBUX, a large central 12.8-inch OLED touch screen in landscape mode.
A trunk too small for a road car
You can also use the Mercedes voice command, very relevant and effective, it avoids getting lost in the maze of different menus.
In terms of habitability, this EQE also scores a point, especially for rear passengers who have sufficient roof guard while enjoying good legroom.
Only downside, which will be important on a road sedan, the trunk volume of 430 liters is insufficient for this category. It will be necessary to make a choice in the luggage.
On the road
Once behind the wheel, you instantly feel at ease. Thanks to the paddles located behind the hoop, you can adjust the intensity of energy recovery, by varying the “engine brake”.
This parameter can be varied as desired, from freewheeling to one-pedal driving. This Mercedes also has a very capable Level 2 autonomous driving level, a benchmark in global car production.
Concretely, you can count on all the driving aids and this is only the beginning, since level 3 is already announced, once Mercedes has scanned the entire French road network.
Comfortable road handling
Sound insulation is excellent, with an absence of air noise and exemplary filtration of road defects. This cocoon side is also found in the seats, comfortable and well studied, including at the rear.
The steering wheels which offer 4.5 or 10 degrees of angle, depending on the versions and rims chosen, help a lot in maneuvers but also on hairpin bends between Switzerland and France. A real plus, which allows you to roll around bends effortlessly.
The behavior is lively and the piloted suspension responds to your desires. Be careful though, you quickly reach prohibited speeds and when cornering, the weight of the beast will be felt sooner or later.
Top performance
With its 292 horsepower and 565 Nm of torque, our EQE 350+ sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds, despite weighing a respectable 2385 kilos. Passing through Germany, our professional conscience obliges us to test the top speed on an unlimited Autobahn, verdict: 216 km/h.
A speed at which obviously the average consumption flies away. At more reasonable speeds, this EQE is an exemplary motorway, in general approval and comfort. This is what was expected of it, but this 100% electric will also have to be durable between two charges.
What is the real autonomy of the EQE 350?
The German manufacturer has equipped its sedan with a useful 89 kWh battery, with the promise of a range of 640 km in the combined cycle and 712 km in the city. On our road trip of several hundred kilometers, on all types of roads, we did not exceed 19kWh/100 km, a very reasonable value.
Especially if we take into account the weight of the car and our passages on unlimited highways. In normal driving, we can therefore base ourselves on a real autonomy in the combined cycle of more than 450 km.
A good score obtained thanks to a cx of only 0.23 and above all optimal energy management. Note that on fast chargers, this EQE can swallow 170 kW, enough to go from 10 to 80% charge in half an hour.
Balance sheet . Yes, but….
Comfortable, rewarding, very well finished, efficient, with good autonomy, this Mercedes EQE 350 is certainly the best electric road car on the market.
It also retains what makes a Mercedes excellent road cars, with an atmosphere on board and a silence inclined to serenity.
But this Mercedes remains a Mercedes, with all its qualities, and only one real flaw, the price. This EQE will cost you €75,000 in the basic version, while our test model easily exceeded the €100,000 mark.