Mercedes’ EQE SUV looks striking and has an impressive operating range, but is that enough to tempt buyers away from conventional members of the E-Class family?
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Time spent: Three of three months
Distance covered: 1 520 km
Average fuel consumption: 22.5 kWh/100 km
We like:Sense of occasion; comfort
We don’t like:It always feels heavy; unsettled chassis
Introduced in 1993 with the facelifted W124, Mercedes-Benz’s adoption of the broader E-Class naming structure sought to more clearly define the mandate of this family of vehicles compared with the smaller C-Class and premium S-Class of the time. It also made the positioning of the first GLE SUV, introduced in 1997 as the M-Class, easier to explain. One of this German brand’s best-selling product portfolios, in their current respective applications, the E-Class and GLE combine executive levels of comfort and sophistication with impressive versatility and the latest in software and technology.
Available as a sedan or SUV, the EQE, which joined the product portfolio in 2023, needed to package everything good about the modern E-Class family around a bespoke, all-electric architecture. Accepting the lifestyle provisos of a family-focused, on-the-move executive, usable range becomes an obvious talking point.
While I saw a maximum usable range of 566 km displayed on the trip computer during my time with the EQE 350 4Motion, in real-world driving conditions – including the use of climate control – this figure was closer to a still impressive 540 km. Fitted with an 89 kWh battery that can accept a DC charge of up to 170 kW, I was especially grateful for this range as I set course up the Garden Route for a weekend away. Plugged into the GridCars-installed DC charger in Riversdale for 45 minutes while we enjoyed coffee and a light meal, I arrived in Knysna with 104 km of range remaining – having covered 465 km from home. I was grateful for the complimentary overnight charge via the Mercedes-Benz-branded charge station at the Pezula Nature Retreat, too.
My return trip to Cape Town was less relaxing due to a strong headwind that, despite the EQE’s impressively slippery 0.25 Cd drag coefficient, quickly robbed me of available range. The realisation that the DC charging facility outside Swellendam was “offline” when I had hoped to use it meant that I needed to manage my remaining range to make it home – something that, in family in the car, puts a damper on the weekend.
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Closer to home, I used a nearby 150 kW DC facility twice. Priced at R5.17 per kWh, the benefit is a 42 min charge time to full. An overnight top-up charge via my 7 kW home wall box was R2.70 per kWh, the rate I pay per unit at my residence.
I got into the habit of selecting the strongest braking regeneration setting – essentially allowing you to brake by lifting off the throttle pedal – each time I set off.
Fitted with optional Airmatic air suspension, the EQE 350 SUV offered an impressively compliant ride to complement its plush and spacious interior. That said, from behind the wheel, and notably around town, I was always aware of how hard this suspension was working to manage this vehicle’s 2.6-tonne bulk. It’s a package that struggles to settle into a rhythm.
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There were no complaints about the somewhat clumsy dynamics while I chauffeured two young couples to their respective Matric dances, though. Where my car’s optional 710 Watt Burmester audio system and upgraded ambient interior lighting – including laser-cut stars in the dash – made for quite the entrance, it was pertinent that, as this and many automotive brands toils with an EV future, the sight and sounds of a Mercedes-AMG G63 ahead of me in one of the queues drew far more attention from a gallery of soon-to-be-of-driving-age enthusiasts than the stealthy EQE.
The EQE ticks many boxes required to be a fully-fledged member of Mercedes-Benz’s “E” family of vehicles, including a welcome level of sophistication. However, while they’re still available, the modern E-Class and GLE packages offer a superior sense of poise, cohesion, and long-distance peace of mind.
Find the full feature in the February issue of CAR Magazine.
