The new Mercedes-AMG EQE 53+ gets 678bhp

Mercedes-AMG has revealed its latest performance car which appears to have taken its cue from an inspirational meme, because it’s the only AMG that currently gives “110 per cent”.

It’s the Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+, which is a very long-winded way to describe something that needs but two words: electric supersaloon. Option one of these AMG hyperdrives with the ‘Dynamic Plus Package’, knock it into ‘Race Start’ mode with the ‘boost function’, and you’re staring down the barrel of 678bhp and 0-62mph in 3.3secs. Just like the Audi RS e-tron GT.

Is that a… deafening silence we detect? After all, AMG’s USP was always a fire-breathing V8, and yet this company fabled for going sideways has fully embraced going forwards. Not least because the new EQE 53+ - and its lesser EQE 43 sibling with 469bhp – are both equipped with four-wheel-drive.

There’s a pair of electric motors – one on each axle – fitted to the EQE’s ‘EVA2’ platform, tuned specifically to AMG’s requirements. Technically, that means “adapted windings and laminations, higher currents and a specific inverter”. The rear motor gets a six-phase design, and we’re assured both feature a “highly resilient thermal concept” which allows for repeated flat-out buffoonery.

Powering these two is the EQE’s 90.6kWh motor, that gets a specific output depending on the drive mode you’ve selected. For example, ‘Slippery’ and ‘Comfort’ restrict the output to 50 and 80 per cent respectively, ‘Sport’ gets 90 per cent of the power, while only ‘Sport+’ and ‘Race Start’ benefit from the full 100 per cent. ‘Race Start’ with all the trimmings gets 110 per cent of course.

As mentioned, the 53+ with the dynamic pack will do 0-62mph in 3.3secs, while the regular 53 does it in 3.5secs. The entry-level AMG EQE 43 has to make do with 0-62mph in 4.2secs. Top speed? 130mph for the 43, 136mph for the 53, and just under 150mph for the 53 with the goodies.

Right, enough numbers. The EQE AMG gets AMG’s adaptive damping alongside AMG-specific wheel carriers, suspension links and stiffer anti-roll bars. For context, AMG says this setup is broadly equivalent to the setup in the AMG EQS and the AMG GT Four-Door Coupe. The dampers themselves have been tuned both for good ride comfort and drive-it-on-the-doorhandles dynamics. Both cars get rear-axle steering too.

Brakes? There are some, and they’re huge. 415mm/378mm discs front and back, while of course AMG offers even bigger ceramic ones as an option. There’s an ‘i-Booster’ which isn’t an iPhone charger but a system that blends the hydraulics and electric recuperation better. Should feel like a proper set of AMG brakes, apparently.

Probably won’t sound like a proper AMG, at least not one you’re used to. Like big brother AMG EQS, the fast EQE gets artificial noise pumped in, though we’re promised the traditional AMG sound in the “authentic” noise setting. Other noises include “balanced”, “sport” and “powerful”, and because we’re childish, we’re imaging a ‘vroom vroom’ noise nestled within its complicated architecture.

Speaking of architecture, the EQE’s body has been AMGified via a new black panel grille, a body-coloured front bumper, new front apron and splitter, new sills, a new rear diffuser and apron and AMG light-alloy wheels. Everything has been optimised for aero, of course, because RANGE.

The interior benefits from a set of AMG seats, much badging, pedals, mats, red stitching and an AMG Performance steering wheel. There’s also the option of Merc’s gargantuan ‘Hyperscreen’ that’s basically a display that runs the width of the car.

We’ll see a standalone AMG electric car soon, according to The Boss. “With two new models, we are expanding our range with purely electrically powered performance vehicles and are thus addressing additional target groups,” Philipp Schiemer, AMG boss, said.

“And that’s not the end of our Future of Driving Performance: after performance hybrids and all-electric AMG derivatives based on EVA2, standalone AMG electric vehicles will follow in the not too distant future. These are based on AMG.EA, our new, completely in-house developed platform,” he added.

That car, whenever it arrives, will almost definitely give it 110 per cent.

TEXT Vijay Pattni