What the heck does AMG stand for as the electrical period takes maintain?

That query saved rolling round inside my head your complete week I spent behind the wheel of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV.

The perfect I can conclude primarily based on my time with the midsize electrical crossover the reply is extra energy, much less vary, AMG badges, some sportier wanting bits, and a a lot greater value. 

That’s a far cry from the increase in general efficiency of the AMGs I grew up with, which leaves me questioning how AMG retains its luster alive within the electron-powered age.

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV has a number of energy

Whereas the AMG EQE SUV has extra energy than its standard-line siblings, it’s largely translated solely on paper. That brings bragging rights however not plenty of real-world benefit. 

The engineers in Affalterbach upgraded the 2 electrical motors to ship 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque over the lesser EQE SUVs’ 288-536 hp. They faucet the identical 90.6-kwh battery pack. The rise in energy comes courtesy of upgrades to the motors’ windings, laminations, currents, and inverters that each one permit for greater motor speeds.

For $4,000 additional, patrons can go for my take a look at automotive’s AMG Dynamic Plus Package deal, which boosts energy output additional to 677 hp and 738 lb-ft. The additional energy is simply out there when utilizing Race Begin mode, which suggests it would just about by no means or hardly ever be skilled on a public street. Consolation mode will solely put out 80% of the facility, which interprets to 493 hp, and Sport mannequin ups energy output to 90%, which is 555 hp. The system must be cranked to Sport+ mode to get the complete 617 hp.

The AMG EQE SUV is able to a 0-60 mph dash of three.4 seconds, once more in Race Mode, and a prime pace of 149 mph with the Dynamic Plus Package deal. It’s all a bit underwhelming in comparison with choices from Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian. Regardless of the numbers, this isn’t neck-snapping acceleration. Brisk and uneventful greatest describe mashing the accelerator from a stoplight. It’s fast, however it feels Mustang Darkish Horse fast, not Corvette Z06 fast. Overlook something with the phrase Plaid within the title. 

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV’s brakes really feel unnatural

Whereas the AMG EQE SUV upgrades to 6-piston entrance calipers with 16.3-inch rotors and single-piston rear calipers with 14.9-inch rotors, my take a look at automotive went additional. For $5,450, 17.3-inch carbon-ceramic rotors had been swapped in up entrance, and they’re most likely overkill for day-to-day avenue driving.

Like different EQ fashions, the regenerative braking system is a two-stage design that feels someplace between irritating and alarming. When the regenerative braking engages the system bodily strikes the brake pedal towards the ground, which is creepy and disconcerting because it’s not my foot transferring the pedal. Then, at an unpredictable level, the system engages friction braking. It’s not fluid and feels unnatural right here and in all the electrical EQ fashions, together with EQS hatchback. Mercedes ought to copy the Lucid Air’s braking homework right here. An AMG with unpredictable brakes simply hurts my coronary heart.

Mercedes is aware of it has a problem with its EV brakes. Mercedes spokesperson Andrew Brudnicki advised Motor Authority 2024 EQ fashions will get a revised braking system that has been retuned for higher really feel, although it’s unclear when the upgraded system will come to fashions sporting the AMG badge.

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV carves round suburban corners

Whereas the EQE 500 SUV presents a easy journey, the AMG mannequin companies issues up. The four-corner air suspension and adaptive dampers have been retuned for a firmer, but not jarring, journey. Damaged pavement impacts are blunted and by no means unsettle the suspension.

The 5,930-pound electrical AMG exhibited much less physique roll than anticipated thanks to straightforward energetic anti-roll bars, however it does not really feel as responsive because the AMG gasoline SUVs. The sticky Michelin Pilot Sport EV MO1 tires on the AMG-specific 21-inch entrance and 22-inch rear wheels clawed on the pavement, however the sticky rubber virtually felt misplaced on such a heavy electrical crossover SUV with jelly bean seems. 

The rear-wheel steering with as much as 9.0 levels of rotation shrinks the EQE SUV in low-speed eventualities under 37 mph. The turning radius of 35.8 ft is good, however from pulling out and in of a driveway to only coming round a nook within the neighborhood, the system required me to recalibrate my expectations for a way shortly the SUV would flip. All through the week I discovered myself getting caught off guard whereas at neighborhood speeds, however at each quicker freeway speeds (when the rear wheels steered solely barely with the fronts) and slower car parking zone speeds (when the rear steering made sharp turns simple) the system felt extra pure.

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV dons few visible upgrades

Whereas most AMGs may be noticed fairly simply, choosing out the AMG EQE SUV will take a eager eye and a few information. The obvious change is to the grille, which has vertical chrome strips embedded within the plastic that appears odd as a result of they add ribbing to an in any other case flat piece of plastic. The wheels, a Y-spoke design, are additionally unique to AMG. The period of the tell-tale quad sq. exhaust ideas is lifeless.

Inside, the love-it-or-hate-it Hyperscreen digital sprint combines a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster with a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger touchscreen underneath one single 56-inch pane of glass. It’s overwhelming for the senses. The shiny carbon-fiber trim feels misplaced in a cabin that prioritizes know-how over sportiness. The AMG sport seats are disappointingly flat and pedestrian wanting. The AMG-specific steering wheel has a twin-spoke design and touch-sensitive controls that may be irritating to function with precision, particularly for quantity management.

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV solely goes half the best way

The AMG formulation appears more durable to translate within the Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV as a result of the fireplace and fury of the V-8 is gone. The ability, dynamics, and even the sportiness of the inside all really feel like they had been taken solely half so far as they need to’ve been, from the game seats that actually aren’t that sporty to the efficiency specs that aren’t that compelling to the muted really feel behind the wheel. Insult to damage is an EPA-rated vary of simply 235 miles. 

With a value of $110,450, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE SUV throws additional energy at a reliable and composed electrical luxurious crossover SUV with out rounding it out with conventional AMG efficiency. My tester value $130,850, and got here off as costly and underwhelming. 

How embarrassed will an proprietor be when a Rivian R1T pickup truck or R1S SUV dusts this AMG mannequin at a stoplight for much less cash whereas having extra vary and all-around functionality? Mercedes must do higher than this within the electrical period as a result of it muddles what these three letters stand for.