If you like your SUVs fast and electric, then there’s good news: with the unveiling of the new EQE SUV come two Mercedes-AMG versions of the EV. Available in 43 and 53 flavors, the EQE SUV is the first all-electric SUV to have the AMG treatment bestowed upon it.
But is it just a dressed-up version of an already fast Merc? After all, the EQE 500 4Matic already has as much as 300 kW (396 hp) and 858 Nm (632 lb-ft) of torque.
More Poke, More Go
Straight off the bat, the Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4Matic SUV raises the bar with a combined output of 350 kW (476 hp) — a bump of 50 kW over the EQE SUV 500. Torque stays the same, with 858 Nm (632 lb-ft) on offer, with the 43 using the same motors found on the non-AMG model. It’s good enough for a 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) sprint in 4.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 210 km/h (131 mph).
However, the EQE 53 4Matic+ SUV truly ups the ante with AMG-specific motors that feature adapted windings, different laminations, higher currents, and adapted inverters, not to mention AMG-specific cooling elements and a transmission oil heat exchanger that are needed to cater to the increased output. The result is 460 kW (626 hp) sent to all four wheels, 950 Nm of torque, and a top speed of 220 km/h (128 mph).
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But it doesn’t end there. If you want even more get-up-and-go, you can specify the EQE 53 SUV with the AMG Dynamic Plus Package. What this does is unlock “Race Start” and “Boost” features. Depending on the temperature and charge state of the battery, Race Start and Boost modes will amplify the power to 505 kW (687 hp) and 1000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque. It reduces the 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) time to 3.5 seconds and increases the top speed to 240 km/h (150 mph).
These numbers are still shy of what’s offered on the tri-motor Tesla Model X Plaid, with that car’s peak power rated at 1020 hp and a top speed of 260 km/h (163 mph). More comparable, however, is the BMW iX M60. With two electric motors, the iX M60 outputs 455 kW (610 hp), 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) of torque, and a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of 3.6 seconds, meaning there’s not a lot between the AMG and the M60.
Exterior And Interior Dress-Up
The AMG version of the EQE SUV swaps out the glossy front panel for a faux grille with verticle chrome slats. The AMG models lose the Mercedes star that usually appears on the bonnet and adopt a new AMG emblem instead. There are more lashings of chrome to be found, and body-color painted trim, while the lower extremities get treated to gloss black.
Inside, artificial leather interspersed with microfiber is standard, but Nappa leather is optional. There’s the rather fussy-looking AMG Performance steering wheel with a flat bottom, paddles, and many, many buttons, switches, and displays. Carbon trim is optional, as too, is the Hyperscreen.
For those who think a 2.6-tonne electric SUV would make the perfect circuit car, the AMG Track Pace option allows the MBUX interface to keep a record of lap and sector times, showing you the difference between deltas, displaying them in either green or red depending on if you’re faster or slower.
AMG Dust Sprinkled Everywhere Else
Of course, it wouldn’t be an AMG if it was just the power output that was increased. Both the 43 and 53 versions of the EQE SUV feature all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering as standard. The models ride on AMG Ride Control+ air suspension with an Adaptive Damping System, as found on both the EQS AMG and the AMG GT Four-Door Coupe.
21-inch wheels are standard with 275 cross-section Michelin Pilot Sport EV MO1 tires, while 20- and 22-inch rims are optional. Meanwhile, hauling all 2600 kg / 5732 lbs (!) of EQE SUV to a halt are six-piston brake calipers and 415×33 mm brake discs at the front and single-piston brake calipers and 378×22 mm brake discs at the rear. Ceramic brakes are optional, while there’s an electromechanical “iBooster” brake booster that has been tuned by AMG.
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AMG Active Ride Control (not to be confused with the aforementioned AMG Ride Control+) is unique to the EQE 53 SUV. It uses an electromechanical actuator to couple and de-couple the roll bars. On rough roads, the stabilizer bars are separated, allowing for greater wheel articulation. During spirited drives, the system twists the two halves of the anti-roll bars together to reduce body roll.
Perhaps less appealing is the inclusion of an “AMG Sound Experience,” which pipes artificial vroom vroom noises to the outside world. The “authentic” AMG sounds can be switched from the cabin with “Balanced,” “Sport,” and “Powerful” options. The sound experiences extend to changing things such as the noises made when locking and unlocking the vehicle, as well as the indicator clicks. Thankfully, if you’d prefer not to subject pedestrians, or yourself, to such sounds of fakery, they can be turned off for both the interior and exterior separately.
Battery And Range
The AMG versions of the EQE use the same 90.6 kWh battery as found in the EQE SUV and EQE Sedan. The estimated range for the EQE 43 SUV is between 431–488 km (269–305 miles), a drop of around 6 percent from the EQE 500’s estimates.
The EQE 53 SUV, on the other hand, doesn’t fare as well, with the WLTP estimate falling to 375–470 km (234–294 miles) — nearly 20 percent worse off than the non-AMG 500, but still within the ballpark offered by the BMW iX M60, which can run for 280 miles (450 km).
