Mercedes-Benz EQE 300 SUV Review – A Graceful and Quiet EV

When Mercedes-Benz brought out the EQE sedan, it seemed that the Mercedes was back baby. Remember the time where if you wanted to know what would be in all cars in 20 years’ time, all you had to do was sneak a peak in an S-Class.

The graceful lines of a 108 and 109 still turn heads almost 50 years later. EQE is meant to herald a new era, a bright and shining one where the world is made of little bits of Greta Thunberg and hamburgers have no calories. Alas.

While the latter might be a fanciful creation of a rumbling pre-dinner coma, the former is true, in CinemaScope, Panavision, and Technicolor.

The EQE SUV is a trifle shorter than her sedan sister, but every bit as pert. In fact, so clever is the packaging that SUV feels more spacious, and is similarly cornucopia’d with all manner of modern glory.

Although MB EQ has a more luxurious model, the EQE SUV range starts with a respectable 300 model. Our EQE 300 SUV test car had one or two tasty extras, the best bits to be found inside the monumental cocoon. That’s not to say the smooth exterior lacks any kind of finesse.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review – 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 300 SUV Review – A Graceful and Quiet EV

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ABOVE: 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQE 300 SUV

Outside

The digital headlights use one million micro-reflectors, and are simply glorious. They don’t turn on; they emerge from a chrysalis as gently a newly minted chimaera birdwing. Their light folds and unfolds as traffic approaches to bathe the emerging scene as if lit by DeMille himself.

The body is smooth and sits high enough for side steps to be handy.

The theatre continues after pulling softly on the doorhandles that present as the driver approaches.

The Gracious Interior

The travellers step across a threshold, and while the posher models abound with technology for those in the back, it is the front passengers which EQE 300 SUV lavishes in an epic cockpit of Einstein-esque wizardry.

The swathe of veneered timber is warming, continuing the tradition of burled dashboards of open tourers strewn with dials and knobs. It is set against soft ambient lighting whose colour wheel can dial up an enchanting mood for those wanting a little sumptin-sumptin.

Mercedes loves crowing about the MBUX, and their skiting is not without justification.

Although “hey Mercedes” will command certain functions, the glorious central tablet lays out an uncluttered array of charms whose tidbits but can be tapped to expand. Posh models have a full width hyper display, but the EQE 300 SUV makes do with the central tablet and a crystal clear 12.3” driver screen and cinematic HUD.

Navigation has augmented reality to overlay graphics in real-time on the front view camera view. Never again will you be in the wrong lane for a turn. You get fancy instructions in the HUD too, but do please mute the very annoying voice. It will drive you quite made.

Unlike BMW, Mercedes-Benz wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is included gratis, but it is the Burmester sound system that is simply breath-taking. The sound is exactly as the artist intended, even those long since passed to great stadia in the sky.

You’ll notice my trusty Navman MiVue Sensor XL DC is plugged into the USB-C in the console. Alas 12v outlets are fast becoming a thing of the past, at least in the passenger cabin.

The Drive

An 89kWh battery gets you far, over 530km in fact. EQE 300 SUV can take advantage of a 10-80% top-up on the 350kw ultra-rapid chargers in around half an hour. Connecting to a garage power socket allows an overnight top up at home.

The air suspension upgrade makes better use of the drive modes, and is standard on upper models. They all have AWD, but sans AWD, the EQE 300 SUV uses the rear wheels to funnel 180kw/550Nm to the tarmac for a brisk 7.5 second 0-100kph sprint.

The cabin has the faintest whiff of Super-Yacht-meets-private-jet, with controls subsumed by the MBUX screen. The column-mounted gear selector commands travel direction, leaving the centre console as clean and neat as a captain’s cabin. Other controls are easily found and deciphered.

Once on the move, really hoofing it makes a rather naff fake engine noise. Far from feeling strained, it is meant to add to the frisky frolic. Frankly, I’d rather do without as there is something rather rakish and urgent about sprinting to top trot in almost complete silence.

Steering is very easy but lacks road feel. EVs generally show little sign of what’s going on below because drive-by-wire is only as good as its tuning allows. There seems little point to tuners trying to imitate the ICE cars that are fast becoming museum exhibits. Instead, there is a gentle, ethereal experience that has occupants gliding at low speeds.

Throttling that up just a smidge gets things far more interesting. EQE 300 SUV is much more agile than she looks. While the upper models have a great deal more performance, there is nothing wrong with the handling and power of our base car. In fact, there is nothing base about it. You could flick it about with the dexterity of a mountain goat, and like the mountain goat, never puts a foot wrong.

As seen on the video, the steering wheel touch controls take a moment to get used to. They work well once you tackle the foibles without fear, but are seriously intimidating if you don’t. The overhead console has touch controls for the sunroof which was nice to open on a sunny winter’s day, though slinkiness is a must for EV range, so close it above city speeds

The self-driving features let the EQE 300 SUV do its own thing for much of a road trip. As with all (and I do mean all) self-driving functions, the driver has to keep their wits about them. At any moment, manual intervention may be required, and even the most sophisticated systems make mistakes, big ones. Treated as an assistant, the steering wheel moves gently under the driver’s touch. Cameras and other sensors monitor the perimeter and toss out the anchors if needed.

As the rolling green hills slip past the windows in an endless stream, one can’t help but feel one is being carried in a sedan chair by power-wigged flunkies.

Conclusion

Riding in a Mercedes-Benz still feels a little bit special. There is a wee bit of Hollywood in every model and stepping from the cabin is “red-carpet-esque”, as my sainted great aunty Ag used to say.

Though 2-wheel-drive, EQE 300 SUV is as capable as the rest of the range. If you didn’t know other EQE SUVs existed, you could be forgiven for thinking you were already in the range topper. Is it a real Mercedes? well of course it is.

Range, specifications and pricing at Mercedes-Benz

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