2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV Review: Electric, Midsize and Mainstream

The Three-Pointed Star’s new EV brings the futuristic EQ sub-brand to a wider market.

Published April 8, 2023

Updated April 8, 2023

To paraphrase Rick James, German logic is a hell of a drug. Rather than slap on emotionally evocative names the way other countries’ product planners would, the big-name luxury car brands from Deutschland have long shoved their models into clean, clinical alphanumeric categories based on their general size and market position. For Audi and BMW, it’s as simple as size-by-number, like in fashion; X5 and 5-Series offer similar amounts of space, as do Q5 and A5 Sportback.

Mercedes, however, uses a slightly different tactic; the last letter in each word indicates the size, and the further down the alphabet it lies, the large (and better)r the car is: the C-Class is bigger and nicer than the A-Class, the E-Class more so than the C, etc. SUVs are differentiated by appending the prefix GL to said letter; the E-Class-sized sport0ute is thus the GLE-Class, the A-Class-equivalent is the GLA-Class, and so on. Coupes — two- and four-door alike — stick CL ahead of their size letter, so the CLA-Class becomes the swoopier A-Class. (Except where Mercedes wants to capitalize on the cache of more notable models, like turning the swoopy four-door E-Class variant into the CLS-Class and AMG GT 4-Door. Or just straight-up calling the two doors versions of the C-, E- and S-Classes those names with Coupe attached. Life is complicated.)

But for Mercedes-Benz’s EQ line of electric vehicles, the old way didn’t work. EQS, the model with which the line launched in the U.S., was pretty obvious: it’s an EQ version of the S-Class, just as the GLS is the SUV version. But when the plan came to offer an SUV version of said car, GLEQS or EQGLS was clearly too crummy a Scrabble hand for even German product planners to go along with, so they took the path of least resistance and simply stuck the segment name on there to create EQS SUV — and thus created a new precedent.

So as a result, the latest Mercedes-Benz electric car — the one that will be the breakthrough success for the brand’s EV efforts in the US if one is to arrive, the car likely to be — comes with the awkward name of EQE SUV. Look at it in a mirror, and it’s the VU2 303, which to the layperson probably sounds equally valid as the name of a new electric car packed with more computers than every NASA mission from Mercury to Skylab combined. But you know what the Bard said about roses by any other name…

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV: What We Think

The EQE SUV represents the most mainstream effort yet from Mercedes-Benz’s EQ subdivision, and the resulting product is exactly the sort of vehicle that electric mobility needs to produce en masse in order to win over buyers — relatable, yet also innovative.

Small upgrades over the EQE sedan offer noticeable, qualitative improvements in ways that matter a lot to EV drivers — in particular, range and efficiency, but also rear seat usability. It may not be as eye-catching as much of the EV competition, but it accomplishes its mission of delivering an electric midsize luxury crossover that’ll fit in nicely at the Starbucks or school. (If it’s any indication of its appeal, I overheard at least one journalist on the trip say they wanted to buy one personally.)

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV: Testing Notes

The EQE SUV is pleasant to drive, if not particularly unique in its delights

My first test in Portugal gave me the chance to try out all three versions of the EQE SUV available at launch: the rear-wheel-drive EQE 350+ and the all-wheel-drive EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic. (These are the same powertrains and trims as found on the EQE sedan.)

The rear-wheel-drive EQE 350+, which one Mercedes rep referred to as “the range king,” doesn’t pack outrageous power by modern EV standards; its sole electric motor makes 288 hp and 417 lb-ft. Still, it’s more than enough to pass cars on country lanes with ease, which is all the target audience will likely care about. My inboard accelerometer puts the 0-60 mph time somewhere in the high five- / low six-second range; call it six seconds flat for now, which would put it a couple ticks ahead of the official estimate.

The EQE 350 4Matic is cited by Mercedes as being just a tenth quicker in the 0-60 dash, but its added torque — 564 lb-ft – serves up a small dash of added oomph on the roll. Still, the extra 335 pounds of motor and drivetrain bits takes its toll; it offers the lowest claimed range, about 6 percent less than the 500 and 9 percent less than the RWD 350. Folks in snowy climes will likely be more comfortable with the added grip, but unless you regularly plow through the white stuff in a given year, the RWD model will probably be fine.

Unless, of course, power is what you crave — the sort of power to embarrass most muscle car drivers at stoplights. If that’s you, the EQE 500 should be more than able to satisfy. Its 402 horsepower is ample, sure, but it’s the 633 lb-ft of torque that really makes itself known when you mat the right pedal. With only an extra 240 pounds or so over the EQE sedan, it feels just as quick in the real world — which is to say, quicker enough to paint a smile on your face quite easily.

If a car company doesn’t go out of its way to make it unique — looking at you, Porsche — the driving experience of one EV is pretty much like every other: unexpectedly quick to respond to throttle inputs, surprisingly stable and neutral in turns due to the lower, more central center of gravity, with a ride that’s somewhere between plush and numb and steering that’s quick but lacking in feel. The EQE drives much like that EV standard; anyone who’s piloted a Tesla, Audi E-Tron or even an F-150 Lightning will find it fairly familiar. The mushy, off-putting brake pedal found on the EQE four-door is improved here, though it still exhibits a bit of that odd numbness in the center of its travel. Still, you can also engage max regen using the steering wheel paddles if you want to avoid hitting the brakes too much.

Buyers can choose from a regular comfort suspension or Mercedes’s Airmatic pneumatic one, the latter of which enables the ride height to adjust by a matter of a couple inches or firm up for sporty driving. In all honesty, I didn’t notice much difference between the two suspensions; both are on the softer side. What does make a big difference in terms of ride and handling, however, is the rear-wheel-steering system that comes standard on the EQE 500 and is an option on the EQE 350; by turning the rear wheels up to 10 degrees, it gives this SUV the turning circle of a Mini in tight spots.

The EQE SUV delivers a good amount of range

An electric vehicle’s range, of course, depends on many factors: battery size, aerodynamics and motor power, of course, but also speed, load weight and temperature, with the latter playing a particularly fierce role in sapping miles as the mercury falls.

I was lucky enough to drive the new EQ in the pleasant Mediterranean temperatures of Lisbon and its surroundings in late March, where temps ranged from the high 60s to high 70s — square in the sweet spot for an EV. We didn’t have a chance to charge up the vehicles to 100 during our test, but based on the range estimates available on the dash from the charge on board, the 350+ offers around 310 total miles of driving in mixed conditions, while the 500 4Matic turns in around 285.

That’s certainly good; it beats out what I saw with the less-aerodynamic EQE 500 4Matic sedan that shares the same powertrain. For now, I’ll chalk the difference up to the lower temperatures during my sedan test drive – and the less-efficient winter tires that four-door wore. Your Mileage May Vary is more valid than ever in the EV era.

The EQE’s design is familiar, if a bit homely

One way Mercedes has been working to distinguish their new EQ models from their gas-powered equivalents: giving them a unique design. Strip away the three-pointed stars, and you’d be hard-pressed to guess the EQS and S-Class came from the same company; where the former looks imperious and upright, the latter seems slippery and low-slung. (The only exception is the EQB crossover, which looks almost identical to the gas-powered GLB it’s based on.)

That said, the EQE SUV is arguably the least eye-catching of the new breed. The EQS SUV has its imposing size to give it visual panache, while the sleek profiles and low, curved noses of the EQS and EQE sedan give them an unabashedly futuristic look. The EQE SUV certainly has some elements that work nicely – the haunches are wide and muscular, the stance aggressive, the roof sleek — but the EQE’s face looks a bit odd pulled upright on the SUV’s taller front end, at least to my eyes. It’s not ugly, but it’s also not as visually interesting as its siblings.

Still, with a volume product like this — and this is indeed meant to be one of the EQ line’s primary volume products — sometimes, going under the radar. The overall design does manage to make it look tidy and smaller than it is, especially in pictures — sort of like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, even though the Benz’s aquatic curves are miles from the Ioniq 5’s 1980s cyberpunk vibes.

The interior is very nice, though you may have to work to maximize space

For the front seat occupants, the only difference in what you’ll see between the EQE sedan and SUV is that the ground looks a little further away in the latter. Otherwise, it’s identical, from the big tablet infotainment system (the Hyperscreen display is coming next year) to the curved wall of trim, center console bridge and exceedingly comfortable seats. Take five minutes before you set off to make sure the settings are dialed in the way you like, and the car will run out of charge before you become uncomfortable.

The EQE SUV is one of the first Benzes to come standard with Dolby Atmos for its stereo, and delightfully enough, it comes standard. The effect is clear as day, delivering rich sound channeled off into different pieces of the interior before bouncing to your ears for a well-rounded experience. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you have Atmos tunes to take full advantage of it; I had the chance to stream Apple Music songs with and without it over the car’s built-in network connection, and the difference was notable.

The less-exotic roofline of the EQE SUV versus its sedan sibling pays dividends in the back seat, where the solid legroom — at six-foot-four, I was able to sit behind myself easily, though I would have preferred an inch or two more knee room for long road trips — is now joined by a ceiling that doesn’t arch down on top of your crown. If you have three or four tall folks going for a long ride, take a minute before you leave and adjust all the seats as needed; a couple inches here or there could be the difference between adequate and ample comfort for all.

The trunk behind the second row is reasonably large, thanks in part to its deep nature; you’ll need to be long of limb to touch the back seat if you’re standing behind the open hatch. However, as with the EQS SUV, it’s a bit compromised by the sweeping angle at the rear, where the roofline darts back towards the road in an effort to smooth out the flowing atmosphere and reduce drag. (The EQE SUV cuts through the air with a 0.25 coefficient of drag, equal to the pill-shaped super-efficient first-gen Honda Insight.) Still, if there isn’t quite enough room, there’s a bonus few cubic feet beneath the carpeted floor of the trunk — space to stash the charging cable and other road necessities, as well as other items you don’t want bouncing around the back.

It’s priced just right, and comes nicely equipped

The RWD and AWD versions of the EQE 350 both cost $79,050 to start, and that’s no coincidence; that lets them slide juuuuust in under the $80,000 price cap of federal tax credit eligibility for SUVs. As it’s made in Alabama, it’s eligible for that where alternatives like the Audi Q8 E-Tron and BMW iX aren’t. (Or at least, it was as of when Mercedes-Benz USA planned out all this; the ever-shifting, ever-more-confusing nature of the federal tax credits for EVs mean this could all be moot by the time you read this.)

And the base model comes with a fair share of goodies as standard: Burmester stereo with Dolby Atmos, surround view cameras, panoramic moonroof, heated seats, and of course, all sorts of active safety features and sensors designed to ease the burden of safe driving, including blind spot assist, surround view cameras and parking sonar, and active lane keep. If you can live with faux leather trim, you’ll probably never feel like you’re missing out.

Of course, you’re still paying a premium for going electric. The gas-powered midsize SUV in the Mercedes lineup, the GLE, starts at $20,000 less than the EQE SUV. The electric model is far more futuristic, efficient and arguably interesting, of course, and I doubt many buyers will actually cross-shop the two — so far, at least, many EV buyers seem to have their heart set on going electric — but it’s worth highlighting, if for no other reason beyond being yet another example of how EVs still have a ways to go before they reach price parity with internal-combustion cars.