Two models for New Zealand release next year, two probables for further into the future … Mercedes has just unloaded a lot of star material.

CERTAINTY of 2022 release here attaches to two electric sedans – the new EQE and an AMG-fettled version of the EQS luxury car already assigned in standard format to New Zealand - revealed by Mercedes today.

On top of this, speculation hangs over the projected timings for two off-road tuned electric concepts the brand has also unveiled to the world.

These are EQG - a concept of the G-Class off-roader in pure battery form - and a styling study called the Mercedes-Maybach EQS, which is expected to morph into a flagship version of the upcoming EQS sports utility. Some overseas media say both might reach showroom readiness within three years. 

Of these models, all released to time with a big home turf motor show, the 2021 IAA Mobility show in Munich, the most important to New Zealand in volume respect is EQE (above); basically Mercedes’ big challenger to the Tesla Model S.

As the badge suggests, EQE is to all intents and purposes an electric E-Class, though on the Mercedes EQ architecture used by the EQS. 

Both EQS and EQE are cited for NZ availability in 2022. That’s a change of timing for the larger car. It was intended to reach here by year-end as an alternate to the regular S-Class.

However, delays to production scheduling means it’s more likely a early to mid-2022 arrival, means AMG’s EQS 53, revealed today, could be hot on its tail, with EQE cemented in as a second-half addition.

 A family of EQE cars is in the mix, including an AMG and dual-motor 4Matic, but Mercedes’ announcement today focused on just the initial production model, the 350. It runs a single-motor rear-drive system, producing 215kW of power and 530Nm of torque, paired to a 90.6kWh battery, which Mercedes says is capable of between 545 and 660km of range per charge as measure on the WLTP scale.

The EQE is very much like the EQS in look, but is unsurprisingly downscaled in size – it’s 300mm shorter overall and the wheelbase is reduced by 88mm – yet it appears set to have the conventional E-Class utterly thumped in respect to interior space. Thanks to the battery being packaged under the floor, there’s 80mm more legroom than in the E-Class, and 27mm more shoulder-room.

The EQE can be charged at speeds of up to 170kW, so it can pick up much as 250km of extra range in just 15 minutes of charging.  As with other Mercedes EQ models, the regenerative braking can be adjusted using paddles behind the steering wheel.

The same effort to achieve high levels of refinement that went into EQS has gone into EQE. Mercedes says the motor should be exceptionally quiet, even by EV standards, in part because “the magnets are arranged inside the rotors in an optimised way to minimise noise, vibration and harshness”. A sound-absorbing foam surrounds the motor.

Into all that silence, Mercedes adds generated sound. An EQE with the top-shelf Burmester sound system delivers two interior driving sounds - Silver Waves and Vivid Flux. A third, 'Roaring Pulse', will become a download, along with over-the-air software updates.

 As standard, the EQE gets conventional suspension, four-link front and multilink rear, that's essentially lifted from the S-Class. It can have Airmatic air suspension, which comes with adaptive dampers as well as air springs. There's also an optional rear-wheel-steering setup that allows a turning circle of 10.7 metres, two metres tighter than the standard set-up.

The EQE’s dashboard is the MBUX 'Hyperscreen' digital cockpit also in the EQS; this 1.4-metre-wide panel is actually three screens. One is the driver's instrument panel, another the central infotainment screen and the one ahead of the front-seat passenger even allows them to watch videos and streaming movies and TV. And only them: An eye-tracking software that checks for driver drowsiness also watches to see if anyone behind the wheel is sneaking a peek; if it twigs to that, the picture will dim.

Moving on up and also achieving plenty of attention is AMG-reworked EQS, full name the Mercedes-AMG EQS53 4Matic Plus. 

The German performance division's second electric car – there was a SLS AMG Electric Drive supercar back in 2013 – this nonetheless Mercedes-AMG’s most powerful, longest-range, most advanced EV. 

Power comes from two electric motors, one for each axle, paired to a 107.8kWh battery for combined outputs of 560kW and 1019Nm in optimal format. AMG promise 0-100kmh in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 250kmh. The peak outputs only avail in ‘Race start’ mode; for general driving it tones down to 484kW and 950Nm – still 14kW/50Nm above the brand's most powerful non-hybrid V8 sedan, the AMG GT63 S four-door.

Mercedes says the battery management system is also configured specifically for AMG. In the Sport and Sport Plus driving modes the focus is on performance, while Comfort mode focuses on operating range. There’s also a unique sound profile, or as AMG puts it an “emotional sound spectrum for a unique driving experience.” The profiles of  ‘Authentic’ and ‘Performance’ are generated inside and outside the vehicle to match the driving status. 

Meantime, the concepts are also sure to attract interest. The EQG blends the traditional, two-box off-roader shape and profile of the G-Class with some of the design elements introduced across the new EQ line-up. It will make use of the G-Class’s ladder frame chassis and will boast the same off-road prowess as its petrol and diesel counterparts, according to overseas’ reports.

The angular silhouette retains many of the model’s most distinctive features, such as the front indicators mounted on top of the front wings, either side of the bonnet. Some traditional elements have been adapted for the electric powertrain though. For example, instead of a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate there is a new lockable box, which Mercedes says could be a handy place to store charging cables.

Mercedes is keen to stress that the EQG will remain an uncompromising off-roader, and as such, it’s not built on a pure-electric platform. Instead, the tough ladder frame chassis of the petrol and diesel car will be converted to accommodate a pure-electric powertrain, along with independent front suspension and a rigid axle at the rear. 

The EQG’s electric powertrain will feature a two-speed automatic transmission, with a ‘low-range’ setting for off-roading. Mercedes says that the low centre of gravity and instant torque of the electric drivetrain should prove advantageous when it comes to off-road ability.

The Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS, meanwhile, is meant to showcase the EQS SUV’s design, along with the extra-luxurious and sustainable treatments that will feature on its Maybach derivative. The exterior features an enormous flush front grille, ultra-slim headlights and a specific Maybach two-tone colour scheme in black and red metallic paints.

The concept has several features already seen on the latest S-Class, including a pair of ‘first-class suite’ seats in the rear, along with a high-end entertainment system and a ‘vase insert’ in the central tunnel. The layout incorporates a storage area that can accommodate folding tables, a box of champagne glasses or a refrigeration unit.

It also has that Hyperscreen, but with Maybach-specific graphics.

Mercedes is coy on technical specification, but has confirmed that it is aiming for a WLTP range of 600km.