Mercedes EQE SUV first drive: Big luxury in a smaller SUV

Mercedes has a very clear plan. Its EQ lineup will continue to grow as it works towards parity with its gas vehicles, and the automaker will eventually transform its consumer cars to those running on electrons. The latest part of that scheme is the EQE SUV, the larger, taller version of the EQE sedan. Both are eco-friendly cousins to the E-Class and both bring what we like (and don’t like) about the EQS to a broader audience.

Starting at $77,900, the EQE SUV won’t wow you if you’ve been behind the wheel of literally any other Mercedes EV. Instead, the mid-seized luxury EV is a piece of a larger puzzle. That’s not to say that the vehicle doesn’t deliver on the Mercedes-Benz promise of a luxury vehicle. It does this without the buyer having to break the $100,000 mark for an electric SUV.

It has a comfortable cabin, smooth ride, tight but agreeable steering and of course the MBUX infotainment system with in-car voice control that actually works. All three trim levels have ranges above 250 miles and rear-wheel steering is an option that’s definitely worth the money. That said, we’re still not fans of the brakes and to us, the Hyperscreen still feels like a lot of hype although we were able to watch a movie while riding shotgun through Portugal on the passenger screen. For more insight into our first drive of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, check out the video below.