Mercedes-Benz EQE300 SUV review: Not quite inspiring, but an easy car to drive and practical

Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to designing large and imposing SUVs. Those of an older vintage will remember the M-Class and of course, the venerable G-Class — both of which are now icons of boxy ruggedness.

The firm's GLE, which we tested in July 2020, continued this trend, immediately delivering a strong impression with its imposing grille and sizeable three-pointed badge.

I'm not quite getting that same impression with this new all-electric EQE SUV.

Not quite inspiring

Mercedes-Benz will, of course, explain that the need for higher total range demands this EQE SUV adopts a more curvaceous design.

But even after having spent four afternoons with the car, its rounded silhouette and exterior that comes nearly admonished of detailing still continued to strike me as being rather egg-like — hardly the sort of thing you'd associate with adventure-ready ruggedness. 

And I'm sorry, but show anyone unfamiliar with Mercedes' lineup this car and I bet they'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between it and the EQS SUV.

Whether that's a good or bad thing can be argued either way — but it does reek of low effort — especially when you consider that BMW has made its iX (a car which sports a similar 0.25 drag coefficient to this EQE SUV) such a distinctive thing from the rest of BMW's range.

But an easy car to drive

It's a good thing then, that the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is such a capable vehicle once you're on the road.

The steering weight in the EQE SUV feels just appropriate for a car of its size, and transitions between the different levels of regenerative braking also happen smoothly enough so that you can freely flick those steering wheel-mounted pedals without turning all your passengers carsick.

These touches make the EQE SUV an effortless vehicle to pilot in traffic.

My colleagues found the fact that the brake pedal pulls away from you when the car is using its regenerative brakes rather disconcerting — but with the advantage of having spent so many hours in the car, I can say it is something that you'll eventually get used to.

Not so great, I found, is the fact that when this recuperation is turned off the car will require a strong stomp of the brake pedal to bring it to a quick stop.

But there are many other great things about driving the EQE SUV that need to be mentioned.

All-wheel steering (capable of offering up to 10 degrees of steering at the rear axle here), makes the car feel genuinely compact when you're driving it a tight multi-storey — great since its tall dashboard does hinder your judgement of how much space is available at the front corners.

And when you're on more open roads there's that pliant ride you'd expect of a Mercedes, only here it's coupled with a cabin that is quiet even by electric car standards.

And mighty practical as well

And should heavy traffic rear its head, you won't need fear when driving this EQE SUV either.

I've found the MBUX system rather intuitive in the past, but this updated system with its Zero Layer layout does a handsome job of cutting down the hassle associated with switching radio stations or tracks from your phone if you're not a fan of the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons.

Those seated at the rear will also find plenty of knee and leg room to savour compared to class rivals, a commendable feat when you consider that this EQE SUV does not match the exterior length of the Range Rover Sport or the BMW X5.

I did find the seat bottoms a little too well bolstered at the edges and a little short however (a sentiment that was shared with one of my colleagues), so much so that you'll find yourself constantly tucked into an upright seating position.

And one final practical consideration: With a tested energy consumption rate of 16.5km/kWh, you can expect to achieve a real-world range of close to 570km.

That's good enough to ensure that charging only happens once every few days, and practically on the mark compared to the car's WLTP-rated range of 565km.

At $442,888, this Mercedes EQE300 SUV places itself as a more affordable option next to its current nearest rival, the Audi Q8 e-tron, which is available from $476,228 (all prices as of Dec 27, 2023).

You will get less power in the Mercedes, but I think those who do end up picking it will find its high usability, as well as its easy and comfortable drive, do more than make up for this power deficit. It is, after all, the sort of car that is designed to win over those able to look beyond first impressions.

What we like

• Accomplished and quiet ride
• Good leg and knee room for rear passengers
• Easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces than segment rivals

What we dislike

• Uninspiring exterior design
• Sizeable dashboard can make judging available space at the front difficult

ALSO READ: Mercedes EQE SUV lands in Singapore

This article was first published in sgCarMart.