Author: Rezz
“I bought an EQC and was ridiculed by Tesla sales.”
This sentence comes from a recent viral video on Douyin, in which a Mercedes EQC owner shared his experience of being mocked and ridiculed by a Tesla salesperson. Unexpectedly, after posting it online, the owner suffered “secondary harm” and became the target of online “ridicule”.
Although the salesperson’s language and overall quality still need improvement, it must be acknowledged that there are indeed certain issues with the Mercedes EQC, which was launched three years ago. For example, it is based on the GLC’s oil-to-electric conversion platform instead of a pure electric platform. The brand premium that Mercedes established during the era of gasoline vehicles does not seem to be recognized in this new market of pure electrics, and its overall design is also based on gasoline vehicles.
It is said that everyone has to go through a period of trial and error when making electric vehicles, and traditional giants are no exception. After three years, if the new pure electric solution for the EQE SUV can address these three issues, it may be able to restore Mercedes’ pure electric SUV’s reputation and wipe away the ridicule from the Tesla salesperson.
Mercedes, the hundred-year-old brand that “invented the car,” held the global premiere of the EQE SUV on October 17th. Mercedes also chose the Rodin Museum in Paris as the venue, which is extremely high-end and artistic. On the one hand, it happened to be on the first day of the Paris Motor Show, and on the other hand, it demonstrated its determination to declare itself the leading luxury electric vehicle brand and redefine its brand reputation.
Don’t like the design of the electric Mercedes? Take a closer look
People who are used to the pure rationalism of Mercedes’ early designs under Gorden Wagener may not be able to accept the design of the EQE SUV at first glance.
But in fact, this design is based on the characteristics of pure electric vehicles. Since the beginning of designing pure electric vehicles, Mercedes has been emphasizing the efficiency of energy consumption and pursuing the ultimate wind resistance coefficient and aerodynamics. This inevitably leads to a rebellious exterior design that breaks with tradition.
The EQE SUV has a similar overall profile to the previously released EQS SUV, both of which are based on Mercedes’ new EVA pure electric platform architecture. However, the EQE SUV will be positioned below the flagship EQS SUV and is the first mid-to-large-sized SUV from the Mercedes-EQ brand based on the EVA pure electric platform.
The EQE SUV adopts the same design language as the EQE, including the enclosed Night Sky Matrix grille of the front face, the sharp front headlight group and grille that merge seamlessly and the daytime running lights that look ferocious, revealing the rich color and design style of the Mercedes-EQ family.
In addition to the differences in three-dimensional dimensions, the overall lines of the EQE SUV are as round and full as those of the EQE, incorporating the design of the headlights and the front bumper. The design of the concealed pop-up door handle is also the same as that of the EQS, EQS SUV and EQE, and the overall body dimensions are between the EQS SUV and the fuel-powered GLE.
Overall, the design language and heritage of Mercedes’ new generation of pure electric vehicles have been perfectly applied and developed in the EQE SUV, which is largely designed to emphasize aerodynamics. For example: the bow-shaped body design and seamless design of the vehicle’s streamlined shape.
This is why many electric cars, such as the Tesla Model Y, are said to look like an enlarged mouse, and the bow-shaped body is like a smooth piece of butter, removing all the resistance factors that affect aerodynamics through meticulous carving, leaving only the necessary parts, making the vehicle’s drag coefficient reach 0.25cd, which is in line with the saying that “good design is imperceptible.”
The exterior configuration also includes an illuminated trim strip under the engine hood and smart digital headlights with 2.6 million pixels, which can adjust the light distribution in real-time according to the actual traffic conditions on the road. When the vehicle is started or stopped, there will be a exclusive meteor shower light effect mapping.Mercedes-Benz describes the EQE SUV as a “multipurpose version” of the EQE sedan, positioning it as a mid-size pure electric SUV that offers more practical interior space and can fully adapt to both city and off-road travel environments compared to the EQE sedan.
Thanks to the space layout of the forward development of the pure electric platform, the EQE SUV has more spacious interior headroom and luggage compartment storage space. Even though it is smaller in length and height than the fuel-powered GLE, with a wheelbase of 3030mm, it still easily surpasses the 2995mm of the GLE.
The EQE SUV is also equipped with a HEPA filter device and a heat pump air conditioner that can use battery residual heat to improve the temperature inside the car, achieving maximum energy efficiency. In the five-seat state, the standard trunk volume is 520 liters, roughly the same as the EQC, but after folding down the rear seats, the space increases to 1675 liters, which is 430 liters more than the EQE sedan.
“Can the electric vehicles of Mercedes-Benz take on the competition?” When I saw this subtitle, I felt that the answer was a resounding “yes” due to the powerful product capabilities.
First, let’s take a look at the competition for pure electric SUVs in this price range. With a reference to the pricing of the EQE at over 500,000 RMB in China, the EQE SUV is positioned higher than this, and there aren’t many competing products in this range: NIO ES7, GAC Hiphi X, BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, and the Tesla Model X, which is priced higher.
If the Model X and NIO ES7 have done well in terms of intelligence, and the GAC Hiphi X has six seats and greater space expansion and intelligent interaction functions, then, in the EQE SUV, which represents traditional brand pure electric SUVs, Mercedes-Benz, who woke up from sleep, brings out the bottom line of hard power.
First of all, the driving experience, the newly upgraded active 4MATIC four-wheel drive system from Mercedes-Benz is equipped on the EQE SUV, which automatically disconnects the front axle and switches to rear-wheel drive mode when the vehicle is driving at low loads on city highways, achieving the goal of reducing energy consumption.Meanwhile, the 10-degree rear-wheel steering system is also a standard feature of the EQE SUV 500 4MATIC (while the EQE 350+ has it as an option), providing drivers with easy and flexible handling with a minimum turning radius of 10.5 meters during low-speed maneuvers and increased stability during high-speed cruising.
In addition, Mercedes’ Adaptive Damping System Plus (ADS+) with Airmatic air suspension as an optional upgrade continues to enhance the product power of this EQE SUV, allowing the vehicle’s chassis to be raised up to 30mm at the push of a button for increased ground clearance during off-road driving below 70 km/h. The air suspension can also lower the vehicle by 20mm in sport mode or at speeds over 120 km/h to reduce drag, giving the vehicle a sleek and aerodynamic appearance more akin to an energy-efficient electric vehicle that can fly across the unrestricted highways of Germany.
The same level of improvement is reflected in the intelligence and interior design.
Unlike the EQC, which simply borrowed the dual-screen interior of Mercedes’ fuel-powered cars, the EQE SUV features a 56-inch mammoth MBUX Hyperscreen composed of three screens integrated with the latest generation of MBUX smart HMI operating system. The incorporation of three screens on a single curved glass panel is a uniqueness seen only since the EQS, and there are even larger turbine-shaped vents and ambient light panels.
For the audience of purely electric cars costing over 500,000 yuan, the demand for brand and interior cabin quality is relatively high, where Mercedes’ product power perfectly hits the target group. The Dolby Atmos speaker system coupled with Berlin’s Soundscape 3D surround stereo system is another interior advantage unique to Mercedes.
Unlike Chinese manufacturers’ obsession with high-powered audio systems, the perfect combination of sound quality and vocals has always been Mercedes’ and Berlin’s joint goal. After all, audio is a subjective experience, with a degree of difficulty akin to balancing the opinions of thousands of people when researching how to reduce aerodynamic drag outside the vehicle.
When it comes to product competitiveness, it is necessary to mention price. The EQE SUV comes standard with L2 level intelligent driving assistance system and has a starting price of approximately 70,000 euros (approximately 560,000 RMB) in Europe. It is also a domestically produced model by Beijing Benz, which may lead to even greater pricing surprises.
Mercedes-Benz put a lot of thought into the pricing of the EQE SUV, which falls right between the upcoming price ranges of the Tesla Model X and NIO ES7. It is evident that this mid-to-large-sized electric SUV from Mercedes-Benz is poised to compete in this price range.
Mercedes-Benz has set its sights on the new rising brands in China’s electric vehicle market, intending to prove its “Leadership in Electric Drive” strategy and determination. In the future, consumers will be more conflicted about whether to buy a NIO ES7, GAC Aion LX, BMW iX, Cadillac LYRIQ or this EQE SUV, which is an important milestone on Mercedes-Benz’s journey towards electrification.
Mercedes-Benz’s serious commitment is rather intimidating
If the previously criticized EQC was seen as a half-hearted attempt at electrification, then the EQE SUV shows that Mercedes-Benz is getting more serious about electric vehicles and electrification.
On the one hand, with the EQE SUV, Mercedes-Benz’s logic of electrical transformation is becoming increasingly clear. If there is anything that Mercedes-Benz has always been adamant about from gasoline cars to electric vehicles, it is the pursuit of speed and efficiency.
For example, alongside the debut of the EQE SUV, Mercedes-Benz also released the AMG EQE SUV. The AMG EQE SUV not only retains AMG’s exclusive design and badge, but also has a four-wheel drive system with 625 horsepower, AMG Active Ride Control system that brings faster response and more precise handling, and an optional AMG Dynamic Plus package that momentarily increases output power to 687 horsepower and a peak torque of up to 1000 Nm.
Similar examples can be found in the recently unveiled EQXX concept car in Shanghai. This car, born for extreme energy efficiency, keeps breaking its own record for single-charge range, increasing from 1008 kilometers to 1202 kilometers. Behind this record lies the culmination of the most advanced technologies, innovative concepts, and excellent R&D teams in areas such as aerodynamics and three-electric system efficiency. It also represents Mercedes-Benz’s continuous exploration of energy efficiency, a key hard strength in the new arena of electrification.
On the other hand, faced with the intra-industry competition in electrification, intelligence, and user experience from the up-and-coming players in the electric vehicle field, those previously criticized disadvantages on the EQC have been redefined as selling points on the upgraded EQE SUV. At the same time, the use of mature domestic electric vehicle industrial chains has helped to improve competitiveness.
Mercedes-Benz seems always to disdain worldly prejudices and to find the right path from the complicated roads, which is the unique advantage of these traditional automakers. Just like the eight-time F1 champion Hamilton of Mercedes-Benz team did not directly respond to online comments on his slipping performance after losing the championship in the last race of the F1 World Championship last year but chose to use relentless training and a comeback of form as the best response.
Mercedes-Benz has the same strategy in the layout of the electric vehicle market. If the launch of EQC three years ago did not receive positive feedback, then the brand will comprehensively upgrade the all-new Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV on the EVA pure electric platform, produce it in Beijing, and aim for a price range similar to that of EQC, thus responding to doubts with practical products and actions.
“If you make a mistake, you must admit it, and if you are beaten, you must stand up straight.” This line originated from a line spoken by Francis Ng in the movie “Young and Dangerous” and is worth learning for all domestic electric vehicle makers.
As for the EQC owners who have been ridiculed by tens of thousands of people on TikTok, I think there is no need to pay attention to the cold taunts from Tesla sales. At least when buying this EQE SUV and future, more powerful Mercedes-Benz-EQ product matrix models, they will feel more confident and capital.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.