2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE 4MATIC Sedan

Let’s start with the essentials, and then quickly move into the joys and costs of owning and driving the totally electrified Mercedes-AMG EQE sedan.

Beautiful and functional.

It’s fast: the least expensive version will do 0-100 km/hour in a posted 6.3 seconds from an electric powertrain rated at 288 horsepower/564 lb-ft of torque. And while the boasted range of this luxury sedan with the 90.6 kWh battery is a somewhat modest 418 km, this piece of the puzzle is competitive if not best-in-class.

And that, folks, is just the least expensive EQE sedan in a three-model lineup – the EQE 350 starting at $85,650.

If you want really, really fast in a battery-powered Merc sedan, look to the AMG EQE 4MATIC+: 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, 617 hp/701 lb-ft torque. Base price: $121,500.

(In the middle of the range is the EQE 400 at $95,000, with 0-100 km/h in 4.7.)

My tester, as you might expect, was the AMG EQE, one stuffed with nearly $15,000 worth of options, including the MBUX Hyperscreen at $9,900 and AMG Pinnacle trim at $5,000. (For the record, MBUX stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience.)

Fast and also efficient.

Let me pause here to talk about MBUX. This is Merc’s branding for digital displays, touchscreens, touch-sensitive controls, Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, and even voice controls.

As is the German way with these sorts of things, we are talking about an engineered system, a comprehensively thought-out technological interface that will reward you if you take the time to dig in and learn all the things it can do. The lessons require effort and commitment, however.

That aside, what an absolutely gorgeous car. Stunning and stuffed with a dizzying array of technology:

• Dual AMG-specific electric motors capable of Race Start Boost to 677 lb-ft of toque;
• AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel-drive that sends and continuously monitors where torque is sent to all four wheels;
• Rear-axle steering for optimum agility;
• And thermal management, fancy brakes with six-piston calipers and discs the size of wagon wheel, and even something called Eco Assist software that will help you squeeze out the most efficient driving responses, for those days when racy performance is not your priority.

Sensible infotainment interface.

This car’s sound system, an AMG-branded unit, staggers your senses with its clarity and power. The AMG Sport Seats are beautifully padded, and adjust in every way imaginable. And while panorama sunroofs are not something I’d spend my own money on, the unit in this car is astonishing in that you feel as though you are almost in an open-air automobile.

Yes, when you first climb into this automobile, it can feel overwhelming. The Ritzy materials, the big screens with sharp readouts, gorgeous colours and the obvious and impressive capabilities.

To Merc’s credit, however, the Zero-layer menu approach to the info interface simplifies would might otherwise be a tortuous dance with menu diving. And AI (artificial intelligence) simplifies the voice command stuff such that you no longer need to memorize a list of fixed voice commands.

This AMG will coddle and cuddle you, if you like. Yet if you are so inclined, this big, heavy sedan will reward inspired drivers who get a jolt out of playing at Lewis Hamilton.

Still, one thing absolutely jumps out as a disappoint: charging. The DC fast charging capacity is 170 kW, which is less than half that of a typical Kia or Hyundai EV.

Merc says you can recharge from 10-80% in 32 minutes, but a Hyundai Ioniq 5 will do the same in less time at less than half the price.

With so much right about this car, this charging capability hiccup seems very wrong to me. As we all know, nothing in this life is perfect, not even the EQE.