Mercedes EQE SUV takes on BMW iX

PARIS -- Mercedes-Benz continues to expand its full-electric vehicle portfolio with the EQE SUV crossover, which will take on the BMW iX that is already among the top five best-sellers in the large premium SUV segment in Europe.

Mercedes unveiled the EQE SUV was revealed on Sunday in Paris  – but the EV will not be on display this week at the Paris auto show.

The EQE SUV will have a 90 kilowatt-hour battery with a maximum range of 590 km (316 miles) on the WLTP scale. Power output is 215 or 300 kilowatts. In comparison, the more aerodynamic EQE sedan version’s range is up to 640 km.

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius said the EQE SUV would give the brand the "most complete" electric vehicle lineup of any automaker.

"Our customers and moving fast and we are moving with them," he said in Paris on Sunday.

Kallenius said Mercedes' global sales of full-electric cars increased by 115 percent in the third quarter compared with the same period last year.

Mercedes describes the EQE SUV as “more dynamic” than the larger EQS SUV, and there are key differences even with the EQE sedan. The SUV version is 4863 mm long, 77 mm shorter than the sedan, and its wheelbase of 3030 mm is 90 mm shorter, which Mercedes says makes it feel especially agile.

Optional suspension upgrades include air suspension that can add 30 mm of ground clearance and rear-wheel steering with a maximum angle of 10 degrees, decreasing turning radius to 10.5 meters from 12.3. 

The EQE SUV will be available initially with rear-wheel drive only, but later 4Matic versions will have an electric motor powering the front wheels, which is decoupled automatically when not needed to increase range. 

Model designations are 350+ for the base rear-wheel drive model with 215 kW, 350 4Matic with AWD and 215 kW, and 500 4Matic with AWD and 300 kW.

There will be two AMG performance versions available, both with all-wheel drive. The AMG EQE 43 has 350 kW of power and accelerates from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds. The AMG EQE 53, with 505 kW, cuts that time to 3.5 seconds.

The EQE SUV will start production in December at Mercedes’ factory in Vance, Alabama, following the larger EQS SUV, which started production in August. Both EVs will be exported to Europe from the U.S. The plant will also continue to build the gasoline-powered equivalent models, the GLS and GLE. Batteries will be assembled in Mercedes' nearby Bibb County factory.

Mercedes has not announced prices, but the BMW iX starts at 77,300 euros in Germany.

The EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs are based on Mercedes’ EVA2 architecture, for high-end electric models. Other EQ-branded cars – the EQA, EQB and EQC crossovers -- are based on existing combustion-engine models. 

The EQE SUV will be the latest full-electric entrant in the premium large SUV and crossover segment, which is hotly contested by BMW and Mercedes. Through August the BMW X5, with 30,344 sales though August, was narrowly ahead of the Mercedes GLE, with 29,415. The Volvo XC90 was in third place with 17,900 sales (see chart, at end of story).

It will give Mercedes a full-electric entrant to compete with the BMW iX, in fourth place with 12,181 sales. Two full-electric models from Geely brands, the Volvo EX90 and sibling model Polestar 3, will join the segment in 2023. A full-electric Range Rover is expected in 2024, as is the Maserati Grecale Folgore.

The EQE SUV’s interior is similar to that of the EQE sedan, with what Mercedes calls a hyperanalogue dashboard theme with digital representations of round instrument gauges. 

The Hyperscreen option has three separate digital screens that appear to merge seamlessly across the width of the dashboard, including the instrument panel, the central touch screen and another for the front passenger. In Europe and certain other countries the front passenger is allowed to watch entertainment content on that screen, but it is not visible to the driver.

A "floating" console between the front seats allows for open storage.

A full range of Level 2+ driving assistance technology is available, with a notable new optional addition that detects oncoming intersection cross traffic and blocks the car from moving. The feature can be disabled by fully depressing the accelerator pedal.

Mercedes is promoting a range of over-the-air updates, including trailer assistance, digital sign projection, augmented reality navigation and beginner driver mode, which locks Sport mode, prevents the stability control from being disabled and sets a maximum speed of 120 kph (70 mph).