PARIS — Mercedes-Benz continues to broaden its full-electric car portfolio with the EQE SUV crossover, which can tackle the BMW iX that’s already among the many prime 5 best-sellers within the massive premium SUV section in Europe.
Mercedes unveiled the EQE SUV was revealed on Sunday in Paris – however the EV is not going to be on show this week on the Paris auto present.
The EQE SUV could have a 90 kilowatt-hour battery with a most vary of 590 km (316 miles) on the WLTP scale. Energy output is 215 or 300 kilowatts. Compared, the extra aerodynamic EQE sedan model’s vary is as much as 640 km.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius stated the EQE SUV would give the model the “most full” electrical car lineup of any automaker.
“Our clients and shifting quick and we’re shifting with them,” he stated in Paris on Sunday.
Kallenius stated Mercedes’ world gross sales of full-electric automobiles elevated by 115 p.c within the third quarter in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months.
Mercedes describes the EQE SUV as “extra dynamic” than the bigger EQS SUV, and there are key variations even with the EQE sedan. The SUV model is 4863 mm lengthy, 77 mm shorter than the sedan, and its wheelbase of 3030 mm is 90 mm shorter, which Mercedes says makes it really feel particularly agile.
Elective suspension upgrades embody air suspension that may add 30 mm of floor clearance and rear-wheel steering with a most angle of 10 levels, lowering turning radius to 10.5 meters from 12.3.
The EQE SUV can be accessible initially with rear-wheel drive solely, however later 4Matic variations could have an electrical motor powering the entrance wheels, which is decoupled routinely when not wanted to extend vary.
Mannequin designations are 350+ for the bottom rear-wheel drive mannequin with 215 kW, 350 4Matic with AWD and 215 kW, and 500 4Matic with AWD and 300 kW.
There can be two AMG efficiency variations accessible, each with all-wheel drive. The AMG EQE 43 has 350 kW of energy and accelerates from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds. The AMG EQE 53, with 505 kW, cuts that point to three.5 seconds.
The EQE SUV will begin manufacturing in December at Mercedes’ manufacturing unit in Vance, Alabama, following the bigger EQS SUV, which began manufacturing in August. Each EVs can be exported to Europe from the U.S. The plant can even proceed to construct the gasoline-powered equal fashions, the GLS and GLE. Batteries can be assembled in Mercedes’ close by Bibb County manufacturing unit.
Mercedes has not introduced costs, however the BMW iX begins at 77,300 euros in Germany.
The EQE and EQS sedans and SUVs are based mostly on Mercedes’ EVA2 structure, for high-end electrical fashions. Different EQ-branded automobiles – the EQA, EQB and EQC crossovers — are based mostly on current combustion-engine fashions.
The EQE SUV would be the newest full-electric entrant within the premium massive SUV and crossover section, which is hotly contested by BMW and Mercedes. Via August the BMW X5, with 30,344 gross sales although August, was narrowly forward of the Mercedes GLE, with 29,415. The Volvo XC90 was in third place with 17,900 gross sales (see chart, at finish of story).
It’s going to give Mercedes a full-electric entrant to compete with the BMW iX, in fourth place with 12,181 gross sales. Two full-electric fashions from Geely manufacturers, the Volvo EX90 and sibling mannequin Polestar 3, will be part of the section in 2023. A full-electric Vary Rover is predicted in 2024, as is the Maserati Grecale Folgore.
The EQE SUV’s inside is just like that of the EQE sedan, with what Mercedes calls a hyperanalogue dashboard theme with digital representations of spherical instrument gauges.
The Hyperscreen possibility has three separate digital screens that seem to merge seamlessly throughout the width of the dashboard, together with the instrument panel, the central contact display screen and one other for the entrance passenger. In Europe and sure different international locations the entrance passenger is allowed to look at leisure content material on that display screen, however it’s not seen to the driving force.
A “floating” console between the entrance seats permits for open storage.
A full vary of Degree 2+ driving help know-how is obtainable, with a notable new non-obligatory addition that detects oncoming intersection cross site visitors and blocks the automotive from shifting. The function may be disabled by absolutely miserable the accelerator pedal.
Mercedes is selling a spread of over-the-air updates, together with trailer help, digital signal projection, augmented actuality navigation and newbie driver mode, which locks Sport mode, prevents the soundness management from being disabled and units a most pace of 120 kph (70 mph).