Mercedes’s high-performance take on an all-electric E-Class brings plenty to like. But it’s not all perfect, and it certainly comes at a price.
2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53
As Mercedes-Benz continues to expand its range of electric vehicles, we’ve got yet another combustion-less model to look at. But this time, it is wearing the hallowed AMG badging of Affalterbach.
It’s the 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53, a top-specification offering of what is Mercedes’s new all-electric alternative to the E-Class.
Once could easily argue that the E-Class is the classic Benz; a model that most encapsulates what the German carmaker has stood for over most of its 130-plus years of existence.
Built atop the brand’s own electric platform – and using batteries and motors of its own design and manufacture – does this electric model make sense? And can it hold a flame to the internal combustion models that it will sit beside?
How much does the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 cost in Australia?
The Mercedes-AMG EQE53 sits at the top of the three-model range, which starts at $134,900 plus on-road costs for the rear-wheel-drive EQE300. The next step up is the EQE350 4Matic ($154,900 plus on-road costs), which adds an electric motor up front for all-wheel drive and improved outputs. Aside from the powertrain differences, these two models are mostly the same.
The next rung up the ladder is a sizeable jump to just about a quarter-million dollars ($214,900 plus on-road costs) for this EQE53. That’s $60,000 more than the EQE350, so what do you get?
The twin electric motors – which make 460kW and 950Nm – are unique to this AMG model, but are fed from the same 90.56kWh battery pack as the EQE350. Claimed performance jumps from 6.3 seconds in the 0–100km/h dash to a blistering 3.5 seconds.
And if that’s not enough, the optional AMG Dynamic Plus Package can trim this down to 3.3 seconds through unlocking additional power and torque, as well as a launch-control program.
Other upgraded kit here includes air suspension and rear-wheel steering, an AMG exterior body kit (including red brake callipers), nappa leather and ventilated front sports seats, and an AMG Performance steering wheel (which is also trimmed in nappa leather).
This comes atop of other equipment from the rest of the highly specced range, like a 12.8-inch infotainment display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, Burmester-branded 3D sound system, Digital Light LED headlights (with adaptive high-beams), a panoramic sliding sunroof, 360-degree camera, and a comprehensive suite of active safety technology.
Not enough? You might want to consider splurging on some options like the hectic Hyperscreen, gigantic ceramic brakes, and carbon-fibre interior trimming.
There are 10 colours to choose from, as well as two colour layouts for the 21-inch AMG wheels: black and silver.
Key details2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53Price$214,900 plus on-road costsAvailable optionsHyperscreen: $11,999.90
22kW AC charging: $1383.80
AMG Dynamic Plus Package $5691.40
AMG high-performance ceramic composite brakes: $6999.30
AMG carbon-fibre trim: $1614.80Drive-away price$251,962.10 (New South Wales)RivalsBMW iX | Audi RS E-Tron GT | Porsche Taycan 4S
How much space does the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 have inside?
A big performance sedan from a luxury brand, with a quarter-million-dollar price tag, needs to deliver on a top-notch interior experience, and this EQE53 delivers on that front. Many elements are shared with lower-cost EQE300 and 350 models, but this AMG does amp up important elements at the same time in order to stand apart.
Interior materials are diverse, good quality, and come together nicely for an impressive overall experience. It’s soft-touch everywhere, with plenty of smaller details like colours, texture changes and ambient lighting features to catch your eye. There’s Dinamica – a sustainable and recycled microsuede material – along the doors and dashboard, as well as shiny metallic-like plastics and plenty of nappa leather.
The air vents – which look like they are stolen from the engine of a remote-control jet plane – even have their own element of ambient lighting that follows the strip that runs side-to-side.
It’s not only ambient light, but also works for additional warning with the blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assistance systems. And you’ll also notice the rose-gold accents along that slim row of air vents high in the dashboard, which is a common theme across the Mercedes-EQ electric vehicle range. The colour is said to be inspired from the copper windings you’ll find in the electric motors.
There’s a wireless charging pad as standard, along with plenty of USB-C power outlets. There are two below the infotainment display, two in the centre console, and two more in the storage den underneath. This is a popular design for electric cars that don’t need to accommodate a traditional north-south powertrain, and it works really well for things like handbags.
The seats are quite bolstered in this model, but not so much around the shoulders (where they taper inwards noticeably). It looks much less heavy-handed than the seats that attempt to mimic a racing bucket, and take up less visual space (as well as improving visibility for those in the back).
In the second row, there is loads of space in the EQE53. This electric-only platform pays dividends here, as well as the extra-long 3120mm wheelbase of the EQE model. There’s loads of legroom and headroom on offer, as well as legroom and width.
This car has such a long wheelbase, along with short overhangs front and rear, to allow for loads of cabin space. But the proportions of the vehicle are misleading: a cab-forward design and teardrop-esque shape mean you don’t realise how big it is unless it’s compared in person.
The middle seat in the back is still a bit of a dickie seat, as the outboard seats are fairly scalloped. However, it’s very comfortable for two in the back, who can then utilise the fold-down armrest and pop-out cupholders.
Other amenities include two-zone climate control (for four zones all up), two extra USB-C power outlets (hiding behind a fold-down flap), a separate sunroof, and no shortage of nice materials. It all follows on the same theme and quality from up front.
The boot of the EQE is surprisingly big because that slippery aerodynamic shape doesn’t lend to having a large boot lid. The aperture might not be huge, but opening it up reveals 430L. It’s longer and wider than you might realise, and is big enough for the car and application.
For reference’s sake, it’s bigger than an E-Class hybrid, but smaller than a conventional E-Class with a straight internal-combustion motor.
2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53SeatsFiveBoot volume430LLength4964mmWidth2104mmHeight1495mmWheelbase3120mm
Does the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Mercedes’s own operating system dubbed ‘MBUX’ is a good one, offering bucketloads of features and functions without falling into the trap of feeling too complex or unapproachable. The quality of the display is good, the graphics and maps are crispy sharp, and load-up times are well managed.
If you tick that big ($15,000, so it’s huge actually) option of a Hyperscreen, you’ll be harvesting wows and oohs from first-timers for years to come. This system is huge, and makes any kind of inches-based measurement redundant.
It’s a coast-to-coast set-up, with a monstrous central display flanked by huge (in their own right) auxiliary screens for the driver and passenger, taking up literally the entirety of the dashboard. It’s not all screen, there are areas in between that are blacked-out borders between each display, but it’s highly impressive nonetheless.
Passengers will enjoy the ability to run their own display, which includes the ability to watch movies.
Elements like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (both wired and wireless for both) are accounted for, along with native navigation (with trick augmented-reality functionality) and digital radio.
If you don’t tick that box – because it’s nearly half the price of a Hyundai i20 N hot hatch when you include taxes – the standard 12.8-inch system is impressive in many of the same respects.
Is the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 a safe car?
The Mercedes-AMG EQE53 does not share the five-star ANCAP safety rating awarded to the EQE300 and EQE350, despite the structural similarities between all three models.
As a result, the EQE53 is unrated in the eyes of ANCAP.
2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53ANCAP ratingUnrated
What safety technology does the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 have?
There are 10 airbags in the cabin of the Mercedes EQE, and a good array of active safety equipment.
This includes autonomous emergency braking (with intersection support), lane-keep assistance, lane-centring assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. There’s also a crispy and quality 360-degree camera system, automatic parking and Mercedes-Benz ‘Guards 360-degree Vehicle Protection Plus’ package.
This last point includes collision detection, stolen vehicle assistance and emergency key deactivation.
How much does the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 cost to insure?
Insurance for a Mercedes EQE53 AMG will cost $5668.94 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
Is the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 energy-efficient?
When it comes to performance vehicles, the phrase ‘your mileage may vary’ is an important adage. I managed to better Tom Fraser’s international launch results where he returned a high readout of around 40kWh/100km. In my drive, clearly I wasn’t having as much fun as he was…
During my drive, which was equally balanced between highway driving and some heavy-right-footed stuff, I saw a number that hovered around 30kWh per 100km. That’s significantly higher than the claim of between 20–23kWh per hundred, which Mercedes claims on the less lenient WLTP driving cycle.
If you do less hard launching, maximise your regenerative braking and drive sedately as much as possible, I’m sure you could bring that number down by a fair chunk. After a longer stint of highway driving, I saw that number start to whittle down towards the 25kWh/100km mark.
Energy Consumption – brought to you by bp
What is the Mercedes-AMG EQE53 like to drive?
Using all of that instantly available power and torque to overcook things – and accidentally blasting my way into becoming part of the scenery – wasn’t particularly high on my to-do list for this driving day, but initial feelings and impressions of this AMG EQE53 as a performance vehicle are impressive.
The first thing I noticed was that throttle isn’t too sharply tuned in this model. It has an easiness – not doughiness – but allows you to drive in a nice sedate manner without worry about hair-trigger response. Of course, keep prodding and you’ll find all kind of performance on offer in short order.
This high-performance model offers huge amounts of acceleration. Even though I was preparing myself for the experience, I still let out a dull ‘urrgghh’ as I felt my guts rearrange under that brutal-feeling initial acceleration of this high-powered EV.
It might not come with the same raucous soundtrack or that mechanical feel of a high-performance internal combustion engine, but it’s brutal and impressive nonetheless.
And considering the 2558kg tare weight of this monster, that acceleration is even more impressive.
It allows you to build up insane amounts of speed through short and sharp dabs of the throttle, but it pays to remember that you are piloting 2.5 tonnes worth of steel, leather and (mostly) rare earth metals. So don’t go tipping into corners like it’s a 900kg hot hatch.
The braking feel does take some getting used to when regenerative braking is combined with the optional ceramic brakes. This is perhaps the biggest letdown of the driving experience, where everything else feels well dialled.
What I do like about this car is that Mercedes hasn’t over-egged the 53’s pudding in its quest to improve handling performance as much as possible. Even in Sport+ mode, the most hectic to choose from, the ride quality has a bit of cushioning and comfort. It’s not so firm that it’s unlivably rattling, in other words.
In other modes, it’s even more impressively refined, quiet and comfortable. And this is the sweet spot for an EV like this. It’s never going to keep up with something significantly lighter (with internal combustion) in a dynamic sense, but can offer high levels of serene driving unimpeded by noises and vibrations.
Once you start hustling the big bus through some corners, you get a reassuring sense of sure-footedness from this car. Combined with direct and faithful steering response, you feel confident even in slippery conditions to carry some pace on fun roads. However, one needs to remember that despite the witchcraft of maintaining body control, ride comfort and good steering feel in something so heavy, tyres can only grip for so long against the big weights at play here.
Adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steer and an always active traction-control system help to hide the weight, but you still get a reminder from time to time. It’s more apparent to you – and a little unnerving – when the road surfaces deteriorates and you are pushing the car a little hard.
So instead of looking at this is as a luxury corner-carving executive saloon, think of it more an opulent, serene refined sedan, which offers staggering straight-line performance and handling fit for the wide, sweeping bends that suit a grand tourer. Just slow down for the hairpins.
And from that point of view, the EQE feels more resolved and overall better than the bigger and more expensive EQS.
Naturally, it does all of this brutal acceleration with relatively little amounts of noise – especially in comparison to the Affalterbach-fettled road missiles that have preceded it over the years. To fill the highly insulated hum of this car while driving, there is a selection of weird and wonderful synthetic noises to choose from, which thankfully haven’t tried to emulate what this car doesn’t have (any form of combustion, in other words).
Instead, there are a few different and near sci-fi soundscapes to choose from. They’re there for those that like such things, and they can be turned off for those that don’t.
I won’t try to explain them in prose. I’m not really sure how.
Key details2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53EngineDual electric motorsPower460kWTorque950NmDrive typeAll-wheel drivePower-to-weight ratio179.8kW/tWeight (tare)2558kgSpare tyre typeTyre repair kitTurning circle10.7m
Should I buy a Mercedes-AMG EQE53?
A really important element about this AMG EQE is the ride quality. It allows the AMG EQE to have a real Jekyll-and-Hyde kind of personality: wafting quietly through town with good levels of refinement and impressive noise insulation, while also being able to keep its chin up through the corners. It’s not dynamically capable in a huge sense, simply because of that weight impost. But it can certainly blow the doors off most other vehicles in a straight line.
Similar performance can be had from the likes of a similarly priced Porsche Taycan and platform-sharing Audi RS E-Tron GT, and there are cheaper options like the Kia EV6 GT and Tesla Model Y Performance that are similar in terms of that performance.
However, cheaper models won’t be able to match the quality and quantity of the interior of this EQE, as well as the execution and inclusion of technology.
Does it replace the likes of a Mercedes-AMG E63? No. This can go quietly into the night; something the former literally cannot do. It’s a different experience, and one that has a different set of positives and negatives to consider. It feels well done and cohesive overall, and a confident step forward for Mercedes as an increasingly electric carmaker.
The post 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE53 review: Australian first drive appeared first on Drive.
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