AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING7/10
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Safety9/10
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PRACTICALITY8/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS8/10
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FEATURES9/10
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POWER10/10
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COMFORT8/10
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DRIVING FEEL8/10
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FUEL ECONOMY8/10
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VALUE8/10
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE Sedan is a stunning example of how much the electric vehicle (EV) space has evolved in just a few short years.
As a high-tech showpiece, the AMG EQE shines with an advanced powertrain and a glitzy interior that makes an excellent first impression. For AMG diehards looking for an engaging performance car, however, it leaves a bit to be desired.
Styling: 7/10
The elephant in the room is this EQE’s divisive styling. AMG vehicles are supposed to be swaggy and sinister-looking, but the EQE’s awkward front end lessens its visual impact and doesn’t have that trademark badass feel. The downward-sloping snout, the grille’s soft shapes, and the sedan’s odd proportions overall just don’t sit right – nor do they look expensive.
From all other angles, the AMG EQE Sedan is attractive, but the general vibe is not one of a six-figure performance car. Of course, maximizing aerodynamic efficiency through design is vital for EVs in order for drivers to go further on a single charge, but I think there might be a better way to marry efficiency with design so that style doesn’t need to be compromised this much.
The interior, however, is beautiful and very much befitting of this car’s asking price, with plenty of details to make it feel special. One big highlight is the customizable ambient lighting, which offers 64 colours to choose from. It’s also everywhere: in the seats, the air vents that look like turbines, the doors, footwells, dashboard, and cup holders. Beyond being simply pretty, the lights communicate with the occupants, making them functional, too. If, for example, you have your signal on to indicate a lane change but there’s someone in your blind spot, the lights will flash red on the side you indicated. The lights will also flash when there’s an incoming call, or will flash to warn an occupant opening a door that there’s an incoming car or cyclist.
Power: 10/10
The AMG EQE Sedan has a 90.6-kWh battery that powers an electric motor on each axle to enable all-wheel drive and output a whopping 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque combined (or 677 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque for short bursts using the boost mode). The AMG EQE Sedan rockets to 100 km/h in a claimed 3.5 seconds – enough to thoroughly thrill your passengers and make any Tesla driver with a Plaid model think twice about challenging you.
Though it’s not as quick as the Tesla Model S Plaid’s claimed 2.1-second run to 100 km/h, this AMG is wickedly quick. Anything more swift is downright irresponsible. This is the kind of speed that performance EVs have become known for – neck-snapping, completely silent, unrelenting, effortless, and instantaneous. A tap at the accelerator is enough to send you instantly surging forward with the power of more than 600 hp, and no matter if you’re using launch control or just passing someone on the highway, this EV has mind-bending acceleration.
Driving Feel: 8/10
A lot of EVs are incredibly quick, however, and there’s more to a compelling performance car than just flat-out speed. One highlight of gas-powered AMG cars is how they sound; they are mean and sinister, and their animalistic personalities are always prodding you to drive faster and rocket from stoplight to stoplight or blast through tunnels like you’re Jason Statham. While the AMG EQE is a wholly capable performer, I have little desire to drive it like I am running from the law. Its distinct lack of personality is a big letdown for me, and even the synthesized propulsion noises and slingshot speed lose their novelty quickly.
Even so, this sedan remains very capable. With its variable air suspension, low centre of gravity, rear-wheel steering, and heavy but responsive steering, the AMG EQE can be flung into corners with little effort and power through with explosive speed, tons of grip, and barely any body movement. It feels sure-footed and confident, but it also isolates you from any feeling of engagement that I want from an AMG car.
The braking performance is also a mixed bag. I was driving mostly with the “intelligent” regenerative braking enabled, which applies regenerative braking based on your surroundings. The problem with this mode is that it is inconsistent and hard to predict, so it takes much getting used to. The brake pedal itself also lacks feeling, so I often found myself stomping on the brakes suddenly because the firmness and feel were inconsistent, and there wasn’t enough braking action at the top of the pedal travel. Overall, the relationship between the mechanical brakes and regenerative braking feels a bit rough.
One-pedal driving is also available, and drivers can also customize their regenerative braking to be more natural or more aggressive for maximum efficiency.
This is a large and heavy car, but the rear-wheel steering makes it feel more nimble both when bombing through backroads or even crawling through parking garages. The air suspension does magical work to enable stability at high speeds but without compromising comfort, while the low centre of gravity makes it feel magnetized to the road. It feels like it’s gliding on perfectly smooth pavement no matter how you’re driving it. The AMG EQE’s driving experience is absolutely effortless, its performance capabilities are incredible, and its luxury-car refinement is top-notch.
Fuel Economy: 8/10
Of course, if you’re driving it like an AMG car, expect your range to be drastically affected. In ideal conditions, the AMG EQE Sedan is rated for 362 km of range, which for someone like me who can’t charge at home, isn’t enough. If you have a place to charge at home or work, it should be more than enough. During my test, with a full charge on a cold day, the sedan showed 405 km of range. With heat running and during a cold week, my efficiency was hovering around 28.0 kWh/100 km, which is considered high. I found that the range estimates were a bit inconsistent, and I needed to charge more often than I had planned for.
The AMG EQE shows the range as a best and worst-case scenario and adjusts as you drive, becoming more accurate the more it learns about your driving style and conditions, which helps curb range anxiety. Google Maps and the embedded navigation system are also very helpful for route planning, and show you chargers based on speed, availability, and price, and adjust your trip time accordingly.
As for charging, the AMG EQE can accept speeds of up to 170 kW, which can recharge it from 10 to 80 per cent in about half an hour, but finding chargers with those speeds is more challenging than it should be.
Features: 9/10
The AMG EQE Sedan is a tech showcase, especially with the newly standard hyperscreen that spans the entire width of the dashboard. The display actually houses three screens under a single panel of glass, and the effect mesmerizes every occupant that’s lucky enough to be inside.
In spite of its impressive appearance, however, it’s a gimmick with little upside besides the flash factor, especially since the front passenger can so easily use the centre screen. It only takes a day to be covered in dust and fingerprints, and the glare when the sun hits it just right is blinding.
The AMG EQE is dripping in tech: biometric authentication connected to customizable user profiles, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, augmented reality navigation, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability and route-based speed adaption, traffic sign recognition, and more. The one tested here brought optional upgrades like a head-up display, an AMG track data recorder, six fast-charging USB-C ports, and more.
User Friendliness: 8/10
As gimmicky as the hyperscreen is, it thankfully remains very user-friendly. The system’s menu structure is intuitive and context-aware, so it shows you the information you’ll most likely need based on your driving situation and what you use most commonly, which means less distracting tapping while on the move. There are also useful shortcuts that are always visible on the touchscreen, plus there are touch-capacitive buttons on the centre console.
The touchpads on the steering wheel to control the instrument cluster are a bit more finicky to use and may be confusing to people who don’t see themselves as tech-forward, but the intuitive centre screen makes up for it. The ‘Benz also has artificial intelligence-enabled voice recognition that works with more natural language and improves in real-time.
Safety: 9/10
The AMG EQE Sedan comes standard with a massive list of safety features, many of which are industry-leading. Some highlights include advanced pre-collision tech that will prepare the car if it detects a collision is imminent to better protect the occupants, front and rear cross-traffic alert, active blind spot assist, safe exit assist, automatic emergency braking and steering, active anti-theft systems that will take photos if it detects suspicious activity and notify you via the companion app, emergency stop assist if the driver becomes incapacitated, and more.
Practicality: 8/10
The EQE’s cabin is surprisingly practical with door pockets big enough for water bottles, cup holders that can retract when not in use to make room for larger objects, a large centre console bin, and a large shelf for storage under the centre console. The trunk’s opening is a bit tight and holds 430 L, which isn’t huge, but the seats can fold via buttons in the back to store long items.
Visibility from the driver’s seat also isn’t great. Thick A- and B-pillars, the aggressively raked windshield, and small rear windows all impede outward visibility.
Comfort: 8/10
The cabin is blissfully quiet, and the front seats are comfortable for long drives and come heated with optional ventilation and massaging functions, but rear-seat passengers don’t get a lot of headroom due to the sloping roofline. The rear seats only get heat as an option, which seems odd at this price point. The cabin smells lovely and also offers a few optional “energizing comfort” programs to help facilitate certain moods and increase comfort while driving or charging. A heat pump for more efficient winter climate control is also newly standard for 2024.
Value: 8/10
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE Sedan starts at $121,500 plus the $1,250 destination fee. It’s not eligible for government incentives.
The car tested here had the AMG Premium package for $5,000 for an as-tested total of $126,500 before taxes and fees. The sedan’s price is the same as the year before but comes with more standard features, including the hyperscreen, which used to be a $9,900 upgrade. For the price, more standard features or more range should be expected (front ventilated seats, rear heated seats, and a head-up display, for example), but the quality and tech make the price feel worth it.
Before you commit to the AMG version of the EQE, I suggest test driving the EQE 350 or EQE 500 first. Both of those models aren’t as blindingly quick, but they’re more affordable and offer more range, plus they won’t force you into getting the hyperscreen.
The Verdict
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE Sedan serves high-tech luxury in a way that only this brand can. With a cohesive and opulent interior full of gorgeous details and acceleration that will leave you stunned, this super sedan is super impressive. While I have some gripes, I’d be perfectly happy if the sedan had a different front end design and if it didn’t have an AMG badge on it, and none of my issues with it are deal-breakers. The AMG EQE Sedan remains one of the most impressive luxury EVs out there.
| Engine Displacement | 460 kW |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | Dual electric motors + 90.6-kWh lithium-ion battery |
| Peak Horsepower | 617 hp |
| Peak Torque | 701 lb-ft |
| Fuel Economy | NRCan results N/A, 362 km est. range |
| Cargo Space | 430 L |
| Model Tested | 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE Sedan |
| Base Price | $121,500 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $1,250 |
| Price as Tested | $127,850 |
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Optional Equipment
$5,000 – AMG Premium Package, $5,000
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