Latest EV saloon capable of 3.3 seconds to 62mph – and up to 322 miles of range
By Matt Bird / Tuesday, February 15, 2022 / Loading comments
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed with Mercedes-AMG, it’s enormous power. This is the company that had to limit the torque of V12s for the sake of the gearbox, put V8s in SLKs and will still sell you a 210hp-per-litre A-Class. That attitude isn’t going anywhere in the electric era; we’ve already seen the 843hp (!) E-Performance GT 4-door, and now it’s the turn of a purely EV AMG saloon. This pair are the Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4Matic and EQE 53 4Matic+, both promising “a dynamic and emotively appealing AMG driving experience.”
Revealed alongside the regular EQE (itself a slightly shrunken but still massive EQS), the AMG cars are built on the EVA2 platform. They’re 4.9m long, 1.9m wide and almost 1.5m high, which makes them just about the same size (albeit a bit taller) than a Porsche Taycan. AMG was hardly likely to leave Audi and Porsche alone in that EV GT segment, with both 476hp ’43 and 626hp ’53 neatly aligned against comparable variants in those ranges. The kerbweights, predictably enough, are the wrong side of 2,500kg.
Both EQEs are powered by two permanently excited synchronous motors supplied by a 90.6kWh battery, with fully variable all-wheel drive. For the ’43, 476hp and 632lb ft are enough for a 4.2-second sprint to 62mph and 130mph; the ’53 boasts a 626hp maximum drive output and 700lb ft, taking the benchmark acceleration time down to 3.5 seconds and the top speed up to 137mph. An optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package ups outputs further to 687hp and 737lb ft, meaning 3.3 seconds and 149mph potential.
As with every AMG flagship, both EQEs receive a raft of upgrades over the standard car to mark them out. The AMG Ride Control+ suspension with adjustable damping gets AMG-specific anti-roll bars, suspension links and wheel carriers; the brake discs are an enormous 415mm at the front, with 440mm ceramics optional; and AMG Dynamic Select provides a range of driving modes to suit different situations, from Slippery to Sport+. The more aggressive settings send more torque rearwards “in the interests of lateral dynamics” and activate the cooling system more vigorously to keep the advertised power available. The ESC is fully switchable for those interested in a more old school AMG approach to cornering, and there’s even an AMG Track Pace ‘virtual race engineer’ available.
Additional AMG specific upgrades for the EQEs include an ‘i-Booster’ that aims to keep brake pedal feel authentic when combining regen and physical braking, an AMG tune of rear-axle steering and aero-optimised 20- or 21-inch wheels. None of which will be as interesting to anybody as the AMG Sound Experience, which comes as part of the optional AMG Dynamic Plus pack on the ’53 model. Given nobody thus far has created a truly stirring electric noise – not even BMW and Hans Zimmer – and AMG has such a rich history in superb soundtracks, maybe now is its time to shine.
Using speakers, a bass actuator and a sound generator, the AMG Sound Experience offers “a soundtrack for outside and inside that emotionally enhances the driving experience.” In best AMG tradition it’s configurable, too, through ‘Authentic’, ‘Balanced’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Powerful. There’s even an AMG specific sound for locking the EQE – but that can be turned off, thank goodness, via the system settings.
Which brings us neatly to the AMG EQE interior, complete with (optional) MBUX Hyperscreen first seen on the EQS. Marking the ’43 and ’53 out as sporting models are the cues seen throughout the AMG range including a flat-bottomed AMG Performance wheel (with aluminium paddles here for regen toggling), sportier seats, red stitching, and the familiar drive mode dials.
In the EV-specific department, AMG says it has gone to the effort of a bespoke wiring harness for the more powerful model that’s “adapted to the higher performance capability.” Both models can accept up to 170kW of DC charge, which seems a bit low given the 270kW capability of the Porsche, although Mercedes believes a best case scenario of 180km (112 miles of range) in 15 minutes. Officially, the manufacturer puts the WLTP range at 287-331 miles for the ’43 and 276-332 miles for the ’53.
Those charging at home might like to know up to 22kW will be possible, with 11kW offered as standard. The EQE battery will even eco charge, reducing the “natural ageing process of the battery” – much like an overpriced face cream. Battery recuperation power is up to 260kW, and the lithium-ion battery is rated at 328-volt.
“With two new models, we are expanding our range with purely electrically powered performance vehicles and are thus addressing additional target groups. The EQE 43 4MATIC is the entry-level model for electric Driving Performance from Mercedes-AMG. The EQE 53 4MATIC+, on the other hand, focuses on even more sportiness and greater driving dynamics” noted Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the AMG board.
In addition, and as if to prove that everything is changing faster than anybody can keep up (remember when a ’43 was just six-cylinder one below a V8 ’63) Mercedes is already talking about the next generation. Soon the EVA2 platform will be gone, replaced by the AMG.EA architecture in the “not too distant future”, according to Schiemer. Old before it’s launched is quite something, even for Mercedes.
Facetiousness aside, the AMG EQE are clearly important models for the firm’s electrification onslaught – you only need look at the popularity of the Porsche Taycan for proof of that. With the Polestar 5 in development, plus new BMW i saloons coming, the big four-door EV segment will soon be bustling. We’ll find out how well Mercedes-AMG’s latest offerings compete when sales kick off later in 2022.
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