Mercedes-Benz EQE
HELLO
£68,810 OTR/£87,040 as tested/£xxx pcm
WHY IT’S HERE
To discover what role the EQ range actually fulfils for Mercedes
DRIVER
Ollie Marriage
WHAT IS THIS CAR FOR? THAT’S THE QUESTION I NEED TO ANSWER here I’ve got a feeling it’s going to take me a few months to work it out But I’ll make an early prediction Once the EQE’s likely eight year model cycle is over it’ll disappear So will the EQS the EQE SUV and all the rest of them
Here’s why we’re in a transition period Every carmaker is watching each other to see what works in the electric era and what doesn’t They’re either electrifying their regular cars or creating these virtual sub brands So VW has its ID range Audi has e tron and Merc has EQ Eventually it’ll ditch EQE and revert to E Class Because that’s what buyers understand
Anyway let me stop the chin scratching and tell you what we have here It’s an executive saloon with seating for five and a boot out back It’s the kind of car you’ll see in corporate car parks across the land It comes in several varieties including a twin motor EQE with well over bhp This is the entry level EQE It has a single motor on the rear axle developing bhp and lb ft fed from an kWh battery pack It’s the model that makes most sense to me because there’s absolutely nothing sporting about the EQE It’s a cruiser a wafter a car that claims a range of up to miles This one’s a Premium Plus wearing fat s instead of s which means more friction so the range drops over miles
First impressions? It comes across as well engineered but with a sense of theatre created by the whirring doorhandles and pulsing lights But it’s a bit hectic compared to the Range Rover which was ultra calming to drive At least it’s easier to navigate the central screen than I expected And I like the built in Google linked satnav Helpful at tracking down charging stations
But I’m finding it a hard car to get hold of if you see what I mean It’s like trying to grab wet soap Apt given the physical resemblance