Mercedes EQE review

This is the latest in a growing line of electric saloons, the Mercedes EQE. It’s a car to consider if you’ve shopped around for a Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT.

If the Mercedes EQS is Dr Evil of Austin Powers fame, the Mercedes EQE is like Mini-Me. It’s a near-identical clone of the big luxury car, albeit cut down to a smaller scale.

It’s perhaps to a fault just how similar the EQE is to its larger counterpart. It’s remarkably similar upfront, with near-identical headlights and bumper. Even down the side, it has the same not-quite-coupe, not-quite-traditional saloon silhouette.

As standard, you’ll be able to have the Mercedes EQE with 19-inch alloy wheels. Higher-spec AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus will get 20- and 21-inch units, while Luxury trim gets a more subtle 20-inch design.

The shrunken EQS theme continues to the back with its LED lightbar, gloss black diffuse and slight spoiler on the boot. It’s not exactly an exciting looking car, and being so close to the EQS doesn’t do it many favours, but it’s certainly not offensive.

Hop inside the Mercedes EQE and you’re met with fake leather upholstery. Go for a Luxury car though and you will get Nappa leather. 

Dominating the dashboard of EQE 500 cars is the huge Hyperscreen infotainment system, though this is not yet confirmed to be coming to the UK. You’ll need to make do with a smaller system, but more on that shortly.

Mercedes EQE 350+ cars that will be coming to the UK will get pinstripe wood inserts on the dashboard, though it also gets ambient lighting surrounding the dashboard for bit of a classier feel.

As for the screens, there’s a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display while the central system measures at 13-inches and contains Mercedes’ fantastic MBUX infotainment tech. This is super responsive and has the rare inclusion of a genuinely decent voice assistant in a car.

If you’d prefer to mirror your phone, both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported, too.

If you want the ultimate tech package, go for the AMG Line Premium Plus. This gets cool stuff like a 360-degree camera, a Burmester surround sound system and even lights that can project directions onto the road ahead.

You’ll be able to seat three in the back of the Mercedes EQE, though you might want to keep this to two adults at most. The backrests are tilted quite high and because the seats have been mounted low, there’s not a whole lot of space to stretch your feet out.

Headroom in the back isn’t all that generous either. It’ll be fine for kids for sure, but taller adults might find it quite tight — especially with the sunroof blind closed. 

As for boot space, the Mercedes EQE gets 430 litres. That’s a touch better than the Porsche Taycan’s 407 litres and Audi e-tron GT’s 405 litres. However, both of those cars have extra storage under the bonnet — which the EQE doesn’t offer.

In the UK, you can currently only order the Mercedes EQE in 350+ guise. This comes equipped with a single motor producing 292hp, with a claimed 0-60mph time of 6.4 seconds.

Other markets will get the 408hp Mercedes EQE 500, but no word on if or when that will be coming to these shores.

Both versions use the same 90kWh battery, though. In the EQE 350+, this is claimed to return 395 miles. Realistically though, that figure will likely be closer to the 300-mile mark in real-world driving.

Where the Mercedes EQE best excels is out on the motorway. Its super-supple air suspension makes light work of bumps, and its cosy front seats are a great place to chew miles up.

It’s not going to be the last word in fun, though, coming in quite heavy and wafty. If you’re wanting a more involved drive, the Porsche Taycan will be the way to go.

Ultimately, the Mercedes EQE is a car to consider if you’re looking for a tech-filled way to chew miles up and down the country. Just don’t expect it to turn that many heads.