Mercedes Benz to launch EQE SUV in India on 15 September

Mercedes-Benz has announced the launch of the EQE SUV in India on September 15 which will be third EV in Mercedes’ portfolio following the EQB SUV and the EQS sedan. It’s based on the brand’s EVA (electric vehicle architecture) platform, and globally also has a sedan sibling in the EQE sedan. Mercedes had previously announced its plans of bringing four new EVs to India by March 2024. This is the first of them, and is likely to be followed by the EQS SUV.

Mercedes EQE SUV powertrain, battery and range

The EQE SUV is available in multiple configurations and trim lines globally, but all versions draw power from a 90.6kWh battery that supports up to 170kW of DC fast charging speeds.

The range starts with the entry-level EQE 350+ that gets a single-motor, rear-wheel drive set-up producing 292hp and 565Nm of torque, with a WLTP-certified range of up to 590km. Sitting above this is the EQE 350 4Matic, which also produces 292hp, but has 765Nm of torque and a WLTP range of up to 538km. The EQE 500 4Matic, which is the top model in the non-AMG trim, gets 408hp and 858Nm of torque, and a range of up to 521km on the WLTP cycle. The EQE 350 4Matic and EQE 500 4Matic get a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system as standard.

The Mercedes-AMG version of the SUV has two trims – EQE 43 4Matic and EQE 53 4Matic+ – and both get a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system. The former produces 476hp and 858Nm, with a range of up to 488km on the WLTP cycle. It can accelerate from 0-100kph in a claimed 4.3 seconds and reach a claimed top speed of 210kph. The top-of-the-range Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4Matic+ produces 617hp and 950Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0-100kph in a claimed 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 240kp, and has a claimed range of 490km.  

Mercedes, however, hasn’t announced which versions will make it to India, so that’s something we’ll find out at the launch.

Mercedes EQE SUV exterior and interior

Stylistically, it adheres closely to the look established by other EQ models we have seen so far with swooping surfaces, clean lines and EV-specific styling cues such as aero-optimised wheels and sealed-off grille. AMG models receive their own individual styling cues, including a new Panamerica-style grille, restyled bumpers and unique wheel designs.

The five-seat SUV gets a choice of two different dashboard layouts – the ‘Hyperscreen’ layout which supports up to three individual displays in a single 1,410mm-wide fascia panel is available as an optional extra. Regular versions get an S-Class-like layout with a vertical touchscreen flowing down the centre of the dashboard while the digital instrument cluster is a floating standalone unit.

The displays operate in combination with Mercedes-Benz’s in-house MBUX operating system, which offers conversational speech commands via a “Hey Mercedes” prompt as well as over-the-air software update functionality via an embedded SIM card.

Mercedes EQE SUV price and rivals

Upon launch, the Mercedes EQE will rival the likes of the Audi Q8 e-tron SUV (Rs 1.14 crore – Rs 1.26 crore) and the BMW iX (Rs 1.21 crore) in India. It, however, remains to be seen in Mercedes imports the EQE SUV to India, or assembles it locally that’ll give it competitive pricing. For reference, the EQS 580 is assembled locally, but the EQS 53 4Matic and EQB SUVs are CBU imports.

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