The Mercedes-AMG EQE will give Tesla’s Model 3 Performance a run for its money.
We’re now seeing the AMG-fettled version of Mercedes’ smaller EQE sedan lineup — and man, does it look like a powerhouse, at least on paper. The automaker revealed the production version of its smaller performance electric sedan Tuesday evening, along with a host of technical specs for us to digest while we wait for the actual launch. Mind you, this car won’t actually arrive for some months yet (the standard EQE won’t even be here until later this year). If you’re looking for some power, though, there are some figures to get excited about in the meantime.
Like its main rival, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE packs a dual-motor setup. Nothing surprising there, but the headline performance figure is 677 horsepower. There is a caveat to that (I’ll get to that in a minute), but that’s some serious punch. Enough, Mercedes says, to propel the performance EQE from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. Up to 738 lb-ft of torque is another impressive figure that makes for a potent package, if still a hair off the Tesla Model 3 Performance’s 3.1 second acceleration time. As for the caveat: Those performance figures depend on the “boost” function available through the AMG Dynamic Plus package.
Without that package, the horsepower and torque figures for the AMG EQE stand at 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque, respectively. Top speed without that same package is 137 mph, while Mercedes bumps that number up to 149 mph when it’s equipped. Up front, the car packs 16.3-inch brake rotors with six-piston calipers, while the rear axle gets single-piston brake calipers and 14.9-inch rotors. Mercedes couples larger rotors still (17.3 inches at the front) with the optional 21-inch wheels.
More figures and specs to chew on
Depending on which drive mode you select, the EQE will dial the power back from the full-on numbers I mention above. Sport+ and Race Start mode bring out the full power, while Slippery brings the electric 4Matic+ system back to 308 horsepower. In your standard Comfort mode driving, you’ll instead have 493 horsepower to use. Sport (without the plus) is your middle ground, with 555 horsepower to play around with.
Like the standard EQE, the AMG version packs a 90.6-kWh lithium-ion battery, with an AMG-specific wiring harness to adapted to deliver more energy to the drive motors when needed. Using DC fast-charging, drivers can charge up the Mercedes-AMG EQE at 170 kW, and replenish 112 miles in about 15 minutes according to the WLTP standard. So far as range is concerned, the automaker says this performance variant should land between 276 miles and 322 miles (depending on the power spec), again per WLTP standards. Official EPA numbers won’t arrive until closer to the U.S. launch, but we expect those range numbers to at least be a bit lower — in other words, well short of the Model 3 Performance’s 315 mile-rated range.
Like the larger EQS, the AMG EQE packs rear-wheel steering as standard fare. In this application, the rear wheels steer up to 3.6 degrees either with or against the front wheels, depending whether you’re going faster than 37 mph.
Styling, tech and features
From the outside, the 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE models largely mirror their EQS stablemate, just on a smaller scale. That said, you still get the AMG-specific black panel grille with stamped chrome vertical struts as well as the important performance badging. 20-inch wheels come standard, while 21-inchers are an option.
Inside, Mercedes shows the instrument panel in space gray “MB-Tex” microfiber material with red contrast stitching. As expected, you get today’s standard AMG steering wheel, as well as the automaker’s optional “Hyperscreen” extending between the A-pillars. While you do get “shift paddles” here, they’re tuned to set the energy recuperation levels — up to 260 kW in its most aggressive setting, Mercedes states.
More U.S.-specific measurements closer to launch
At this time, we still have to wait for some of the U.S. figures to make their way into the public sphere. Pricing is not yet available, though it shouldn’t (hopefully) reach the six-figure sums you’ll have to fork over for its bigger brother.
Since the standard EQE sedan models will launch later this year, we may see this car either in late 2022 or — more likely — calendar year 2023.
Check out the larger Mercedes-AMG EQS below:
