Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 and 53 performance EVs revealed

• Mercedes EQE performance saloons revealed 
• Up to 687PS, 1000Nm of torque and 330 miles of range
• On sale mid-2020, priced from £80,000

Mercedes has revealed performance versions of its EQE electric saloon – they’re called the AMG EQE 43 4Matic and 53 4Matic+. They rival performance EV saloons such as the Porsche Taycan and high-end versions of the Tesla Model S. 

The new fast Mercs are expected to cost between £80,000 and £100,000 when they go on sale later this year. 

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Not that you’d know either Mercedes is particularly performance orientated, by the usual standards of an AMG at least. The new cars get a subtle body kit and big wheels up to 21-inches in size that hide huge six-pot brake callipers at the front. 

However, the usual AMG aggressive styling (not good for aero efficiency) and trademark quad exhausts (for obvious reasons) have gone.

While the 43 and 53 models don’t look that quick, ironically they are some of the most potent Mercedes cars ever made. 

The 53 4Matic+ leads the charge, fitted with the optional AMG Dynamic Plus package, it produces 687PS and 1000Nm of torque, which gets it from 0-62mph in 3.3 seconds.

Or to put in another way, this 2525kg luxury saloon is just half a second slower to 62mph than the Mercedes-Benz Project 1 – a £2 million supercar that’s designed to bring Formula 1 performance to the road.

Admittedly, the EQE’s top speed is capped at 149mph to avoid flattening the battery quicker than a jet fighter drains its fuel tanks on afterburner. 

Performance, meanwhile, can be terrifying when you want it to or relatively sedate when you don’t. Driving modes mean you can lower the power in 10 per cent increments from 100 to 50 per cent, turning this leather-lined missile into a flashy milk float. 

Even turned up to 11, the EQE AMG should be relatively easy to handle. 

You get four-wheel drive – thanks to an electric motor on the front and the rear axle – that can react quicker than a mechanical system and four-wheel steering that makes the big saloon feel surprisingly agile. Air suspension, meanwhile, lets the EQE play cosseting cruiser or be set up for more control in corners. 

The standard 53 and 43 models get exactly the same box of tricks, only with less power.

Without the AMG Dynamic Plus Package, the 53 produces 626PS, 950Nm of torque, gets from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and tops out at 137mph; the 43 gives you 476PS, 858Nm, 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds and 130mph flat out.

Whichever model you go for, the EQE comes with a huge 90.6kWh battery that gives you a range of between 321 (53) and 331 miles (43), while charging speeds of 170kW mean you can add 112-miles worth of battery in just 15 minutes. If you can find a charger fast enough, anyway. 

Another clever feature is the sat-nav that can plan journeys around traffic and distance, but also the speed of the chargers on your route.

Mercedes new AMG EVs should be ideal long distance companions. The entire car has been set up to provide quiet and comfortable transit (although the 43 and 53 can generate sporty noises if you want them to) and their interiors show you the best Mercedes tech available at the moment. Most notably the company’s dashboard-length Hyperscreen infotainment system. 

We’ll have reviews of the full EQE range in the coming months.