Recently I was able to drive a Mercedes EQE 43 AMG (or was it an EQS?) during an AMG trackday on the Belgian circuit of Zolder. I was impressed by the performance on the 10 corner counting circuit. Acceleration, brake performance and stability were very impressive. It gave me hope for my upcoming test of the EQE SUV 43 AMG that was planned the month after.
Personally my motto with AMG’s in general is that if there is no one-man one-engine in the front or in the back I would rather not categorize it as a real AMG. I had to review that opinion after driving cars such as the A 35 and CLA 35 AMG which are pure joy to drive. Mercedes-AMG GmbH CEO claims that due to its versatile all-rounder qualities the EQE AMG is a real AMG. It is the combination of the drivetrain, the suspension, brakes and sound that are part of the secret AMG recipe. But let’s take a deep breath before we agree with the statement of AMG’s CEO.
Design
The most controversial part about the Mercedes EQ range is probably the design. For the SUV range perhaps not so much as the sedan range, but the design is nothing like what Mercedes designed before. The AMG versions (43 or 53) can count on 21 inch rims, a black panel front with hot-stamped vertical struts in chrome, an AMG badge on the bonnet and an aggressive front bumper. In combination with the hightechsilver exterior color personally I was impressed with the looks of this car. Also important, the design of the car doesn’t get boring, probably thanks to the color. In front the DIGITAL lights can be found and nowadays they are even projecting a Mercedes star and huge AMG logo at the front when starting the EQE.
Driving & Technology
Two electric engines are responsible for the available power of 476 hp and a mindblowing torque of 858 Nm. One permanently excited synchronous engine is located at the front, the other at the back. The 53 AMG can count on engines that have specific adapted windings, different laminations, higher currents and adapted inverters. The engine at the rear axle has a six-phase design, based on two windings with three phases each, and the stator with pull-in winding ensures a strong magnetic field. The 328 Volt battery has a capacity of 90,6 kWh. The battery consists of ten modules with a total of 360 pouch cells. The AMG specific battery management system can be updated over the air. Interesting to know is that the Cobalt usage has been reduced to 10%. The ratio nickel, cobalt and manganese is 8:1:1. Charging is possible at maximum 170 kW, and in Japan bidirectional charging is possible. Also important to know is that the battery is crash protected thanks to the extruded aluminum profile to the side in the underbody.
The 4MATIC system ensures the power transmission and despite missing the ‘+’ in the naming there is fully variable all-wheel drive available. The ‘+’ now stands for additional performance and dynamism that the 53 version offers. The electric set-up has faster response time compared to mechanical four-wheel drive system. The torque is checked 160 times per second and distribution is adjusted if necessary. The distribution is dependent on the selected drive mode. In driving mode Sport or Sport+ the torque is more rear-biased.
Other technical highlights are the AMG RIDE CONTROL+ air suspension with adaptive damping system (four-link suspension at the front and multi-link independent suspension at the rear and electromechanical active roll stabilization, the latter only available on the EQE 53), the rear-axle steering (9°) and AMG-specific roll stabilization which all come as standard. This AMG technology and the low center of gravity in combination with the specific tyres designed for electric cars results in a superb road performance and grip levels. In Sport and Sport+ driving mode, the suspension is lowered 1,5 cm to further improve driving performance.
Personally I did not miss the sound experience of a real AMG, but probably this is because it was not there. In addition, the development of artificial sound is a waste of time. Mercedes-AMG names it the AMG Sound Experience with the goal of creating a unique soundscape. The driver can select three modes: Balanced, Sport and Powerful.
We were rather impressed with the range and consumption of the EQE 43 AMG. We must admit that the air temperature was perfect for battery performance (20°C), however it was rather windy. Our average consumption over almost 800 km was 20,8 kWh/100 km even though 70% were highway km at 120 km/h. It is difficult to compare with official consumption because Mercedes is providing a range of 22 to 25,1 kWh/100 km. Only God and some smart Germans know how those numbers are calculated.
Interior
The AMG version can be visually recognized by AMG badges on the backrest of the front seats and embossed AMG emblems in the front headrests. In addition there is the AMG Performance steering wheel (flattened at the bottom), AMG sports pedals and AMG door sill panels. The AMG steering wheel contains the two familiar selection buttons which can also be found on other AMGs. It allows the driver to play around with 15 settings (driving mode, sound, damping etc).
The fantastic looking hyperscreen is unfortunately not standard. Three screens are hidden behind a glass cover and it is partially curved. Visually it is certainly an added value and the design of the interior screams for this expensive option. Thanks to the zero layer most important functions are always on display. On the screen of the passenger, lots of settings can be changed and in Europe and China dynamic content such as movies, is allowed while driving thanks to the ‘blanking function’ which allows the driver not to see what is displayed.
Worth mentioning is the Dolby Atmos sound which can create a 360-degree experience. Furthermore there is a digital entertainment platform from Californian specialist ZYNC integrated. ZYNC offers video streaming, on-demand content, interactive experiences, local video programmes, sport, news, games etc.
Starting price in Belgium is a mindblowing 130.000 euro for the EQE 43 AMG and 149.000 euro for the EQE 53 AMG. Luckily the standard equipment is rather impressive but notwithstanding the prices remain crazy for the men in the street.
Conclusion
What is the verdict of the first Mercedes-AMG EQ SUV? First of all this is a dream to drive. The combination of performance, the finesse, the technology, efficiency and overall comfort is very impressive. But is it worth the AMG badge? Difficult to say, because it is the new reality with which we will need to deal with for at least the next 20 years, but undeniably, the EQE 43 AMG lacks some emotion. Just some consumer advice: the EQE 43 AMG is already so fast and determined that we don’t know why you would pay another 20k € for 150 hp more which you can’t really use anyway. But can we speak of a real AMG if there is no urge to permanently drive in Sport+ driving mode?
| AMG | Test Drive Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 SUV 4MATIC X294 |
|---|---|
| Engine | Two permanently agitated synchronous motors (PSM) |
| Horsepower | 476 hp |
| Torque | 520 Nm |
| Drivetrain | Variable all wheel drive |
| Brake discs | Internally ventilated and perforated discs |
| Emission class | NA |
| Average fuel consumption - Range (WLTP) | 22 kWh / 100 km - 431 km |
| Average fuel consumption - Range (test drive) | 20,8 kWh / 100 km - 455 km |
| 0 - 100 km/h | 4,3 s |
| Topspeed | 210 km/h |
| Boot | 520 - 1.675 l |
| Price (standard) | € 129k (Belgium, 21% VAT) |
| Price testcar | € 146k (Belgium, 21% VAT) |
| Options testcar (Prices including 21% VAT) | AMG Premium Plus: € 3.993 (AMG Nappa leather, Head-up Display, Thermotronic, Heated & cooled seats in front) AMG Night Pack: € 1.150 Hyperscreen: € 8.712 21 inch rims: € 1.150 |
