Mercedes AMG EQE review: A visceral drive from an EV Merc

Mercedes AMG EQE 43 features a unique and eye-catching 21 alloys and the black gloss lower front bumper; the interior, below, is also quite spectacular.
Mercedes AMG EQE review: A visceral drive from an EV Merc

Amg Eqe Mercedes

Amg Mercedes Eqe

Class="contextmenu Emphasis">rating

★★★★☆

Class="contextmenu Emphasis">price

From 865 €118, As Tested €133,299

motor

Chucking 476bhp Motors Out Two Electric

range

500km+

the Spec

Pretty Truth Surreal, In

Emphasis">verdict Class="contextmenu

Rip It Does Snorting, No But Boy Perform

If, just a few short years ago, anyone had opined that there would soon be a generation of electrically powered sports cars roaming our lands, the blood of any hardened petrolhead would have chilled instantly.

To think that there would be an end to flat or V6 engines, high decibel V8s, or, better again, wailing V12s, would have been heresy to anyone with an ounce of high-octane juice flowing through their cardiovascular system.

Such a proposition would be anathema to any serious enthusiast, for whom the love of their fast petrol-engined cars surpasses anything else – family, politics, religion, sport or their favourite death metal band.

For generations people have revered their automotive heroes like little else in our world and companies such as Ferrari, De Tomaso, Maserati, Ford, Chevrolet, Lamborghini and loads more fuelled their dreams.

But humanity’s seeming death wish when it comes to the vulnerability of our planet to carbon emissions and the climate change they have provoked, has put the black cap on the head of those who stand in judgement of the muscle car genre – or even the hot hatch, for that matter.

In any petrolhead’s lexicon, the need for speed surpasses all else and the thought that the pervasive thrills afforded them down the decades would be taken away, did not bear thinking about.

Help was at hand, however, as the human condition allows for that sometimes-elusive state of mind known as ‘alternative thinking.’ Okay, so that came in the form of fast electrics – most notably those from Elon Musk’s Tesla stable – but the thrills quickly wore off with many EVs beset by cold weather, degrading batteries and a variety of other issues – not least of which was depreciation.

Other than shockingly fast acceleration times the shockingly quick devaluation of many EV models quickly sobered those bar bores who had previously been telling anyone who’d listen that their new electric was not only as quick as a land speed record car, but it saved the planet too.

It’s still an issue and one which the industry and the people to whom it sells its products have yet to deal with but, inexorably, the EV is gaining traction and fast ones, well, they are in some cases proving attractive to hardcore fans.

In the greater motoring universe the initials AMG mean something to petrolheads who immediately see images of trye-shredding, smoke billowing monsters flashing before their eyes. So, when the Mercedes performance arm turns its focus into producing a truly sporting EV, then people take notice.

Mercedes futuristic interior
Mercedes futuristic interior

What they have come up with – as a first stab, if you will – is the EQE AMG 43 4Matic, which is adapted from the EQE 350 which we drooled over last year. This one has been given a second electric motor on the front axle, this boosts total output by 181 bhp to 476 bhp and torque is upped to a massive 858 Nm. Impressive by any standards.

That means the 0-100 km/h time here is just 4.2 second and top speed limited to 210 km/h, neither figure being one which any seasoned petrolhead could quibble with. The 4Matic 4x4 system adds further heft to the package. Oh, and the quoted range is a tad over 500 km.

Now it is worth noting that the AMG-Line specification package which Mercedes flog across their standard models provides little other than a sporty look to regular models. Up to now, AMG specific models have usually been powered by snorting V8s which look and sound gorgeous, but this first electric AMG, while quiet and curvy, is a beast of a different colour altogether.

Other than the electric motors, AMG has utilised a heavy bag of tricks here, so the car comes with such as rear steering, AMG-specific driving settings, air suspension and a unique interior and exterior look.

There are also unique and eye-catching 21” alloys and the black gloss lower front bumper and a car-specific rear apron in place of the quad exhausts which were part and parcel of the AMG design package.

The interior of the regular EQE is quite spectacular, but this one squarely beats even that into a cocked hat. The first thing you notice is the flat-bottomed steering wheel with a bunch of interesting buttons on it. Again these are AMG specific and allow you to programme certain functions and choose one of the four driving modes – Slippery, Comfort, Sport and Sport+.

Steering wheel-mounted paddles no longer change gears – it is a single speed system – but allow you to adjust brake recuperation levels while you’re on the move. The Hyperscreen fitted to the tester features three individual displays – one for the driver, one centrally mounted and one for the front passenger.

These have been blended into a single panel and the system is truly impressive and incorporates Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system as well as a mind-boggling array of functions and capabilities it could take months to navigate confidently.

The whole cabin feels plush and is decked out with materials which feel plush and expensive, what with fake Artico leather upholstery (the steering wheel has real Nappa leather), red seatbelts, an advanced sound system, black fabric roof liner and AMG sports seats.

Mercedes-AMG EQE
Mercedes-AMG EQE

Actually driving it can seem complicated if you start delving into the various driving setting, especially as it seems like there are hundreds of them. All these sub-systems can tweak the car to your specific desires.

For example, in the Sport and Sport+ settings the output of the rear motor is optimised to give more torque to the rear wheels. All that means is that you could reasonably spend the rest of your life trying to find an optimal driving setting just for yourself.

I’m not sure if too many punters will actually explore everything that’s on offer here, or simply take the default option of just boasting about what the car can do to all their mates at the golf club bar and boring the underpants off everyone.

You can also control the suspension settings and vary them at will, but the bottom line is that this EQE AMG is a stiff-ish drive anyway and, frankly, the need to fool around with the various options can be something of a mug’s game.

As it is the car handles and rides like you’d expect a good sports saloon to do and in either Comfort or Sport modes it will treat most road with distain. In Sport+ modes you’ll probably need the services of a chiropractor and a prosthodontist afterwards.

The addition of rear wheel steer might seem a little OTT, but at lower speeds (where the rears steer in the opposite direction to the front) helps greatly with parking and manoeuvring) it is an excellent addition and at higher speeds shows that this Merc is really good at changing direction.

Oddly, you can also trick with the noise the car makes – you’ve a choice of Balanced, Sport or Powerful – but this is a shtick too far in my view, especially as it’s all synthesised. Without a petrol engine, you’re never going to get a real aural experience, so why bother?

All in all though, AMG has done a fine job of trying to provide a sports saloon experience in an EV and while many of the tricks they have adopted to make this more like what might be termed ‘the real thing,’ are a little contrived, the driving experience is as visceral.

This is not so much ‘wild hog’ motoring as ‘domesticated fat belly pig’ motoring. It is something AMG has attacked with some vigour but, like the rest of us, it is something they’re still getting used to. That being so, it not a bad effort at all.

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