2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE500 Adds More Power, All-Wheel Drive for US
The EQE500 will hang out between the base EQE350 and the upcoming AMG EQE.
The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE350 is a solid base model, offering decent performance and plenty of luxury. But the gulf between that car and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG EQE is likely to be a big one. Thankfully, Mercedes has confirmed a nice middle ground for folks looking for extra power without going all-in.
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the EQE500 will come to the US. Situated between the two other aforementioned EQE variants, the EQE500 will pick up a number of additions that give the car a little boost over its base-model brethren.
While the EQE350 offers a single motor in rear-wheel-drive configuration, the EQE500 will instead place one electric motor on each axle. This gives the car all-wheel drive, and it also boosts power output from 288 horsepower to 402. The torque figure is still TBA but considering the EQE350's single motor produces 391 pound-feet of torque, the EQE500 should feel pretty beefy. The 0-to-60-mph time drops from 6.2 seconds to 5.2, as well.
The remaining components of the EQE500's powertrain are unchanged from the EQE350. The battery still measures 90.6 kilowatt-hours, with DC fast charging time remaining at 32 minutes at 170 kilowatts. Interestingly enough, the EQE500 also carries the same 410-mile range estimate as the EQE350, but that's by the generous European WLTP standard. Expect any EPA numbers to come in lower, although by how much remains to be seen.
Otherwise, there are only some slight differences in packaging between the two models. The EQE500 gets leather instead of the EQE350's standard MB-Tex vinyl, and its standard wheels come in at 20 inches versus the EQE350's 19 inches. Both models come standard with the MBUX infotainment system on a 12.8-inch portrait display alongside a 12.3-inch instrument cluster; Hyperscreen will debut as an option after the car's initial release. Standard equipment also includes keyless entry, LED headlights, a whole host of safety systems and a Burmester sound system.
Both the Mercedes EQE350 and EQE500 are slated to arrive in the US some time in 2022, and pricing should be announced closer to its on-sale date.