Mercedes’ latest electric achieves optimal star count from region’s tester.

EQUIVALENT of an A-plus has been awarded to Mercedes’ first fully electric E-Class, the EQE, from the New Zealand-accredited crash testing agency.

 The new model, just released in New Zealand in three formats – the single motor $132,000 EQE 300 and dual motor 4Matic EQE 350 and EQE 53 AMG, at $145,000 and $195,000 respectively – has been awarded a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme under the 2020-22 protocols.

The result from the Melbourne-based, partly NZ Government-funded independent tester matches Euro NCAP’s five-star score with an ‘Advanced’ accolade from October 2022. 

ANCAP praised the EQE’s ability to protect occupants, with the electric sedan scoring the second highest protection rating for adult occupants (95 percent) and child occupants (92 percent).

The forward AEB system also came in for praise for its ability to detect potential obstacles including cars, crossing traffic, and vulnerable road users.

ANCAP also appreciates the models’ reverse AEB also features, noting it can detect vehicles, obstacles and pedestrians at low speeds. It also gave mention to the car having 10 airbags.

Not everything was given glowing reference. While the EQE’s lane-keep assist was deemed ‘Good’,  its emergency lane-keep assistance was only considered ‘Adequate’ by ANCAP.

Carla Hoorweg, ANCAP chief executive, notes the EQE joins 60-plus electric five-star certified vehicles on sale in New Zealand and in Australia.

The organisation has produced a ‘Safe and Green’ guide designed to help consumers easily compare the safety of alternative-powered models.

Simplistically, the EQE is last year’s EQS battery-wed large sedan in a smaller scale, with a 90kWh battery. Same look and with a lot more in common under the skin – much more so than it does with any combustion-engined E-Class.

Both EQE and EQS are on a dedicated EV platform called EVA2. Hence, while the EQE is still a four-door saloon, it has a unique look wholly different to that the Mercedes E-Class, which will continue to stay in circulation.

The EQE 300 runs a 180kW/550Nm single motor driving the rear wheels for a range of 626 kilometres and achieves 0-100kmh in 7.3 seconds. The 215kW/765Nm EQE 450 4Matic has a range of 560km and 0-100kmh time of 6.3s while the 460kW/950Nm Mercedes-AMG 53 4Matic Plus trades even more range for performance. It’ll get 500km from a charge but also delivers the open road limit from a standing start in 3.5s. If that grunt does seem quite enough, for an extra $7400 the car can ordered with a factory-fitted AMG Dynamic Plus package which boosts power and torque to 505kW and 1000Nm for a short time.

 The relationship with the EQS flagship is clear from the EQE’s black front panel, ‘one-bow’ cab-forward silhouette – a hallmark of the new era bespoke EV family – and short overhangs at the front and rear. Mercedes also refers to the “sensual purity” achieved by minimising joints, transitions and body lines and suggests the EQE shows off its “athletic character” with pronounced rear haunches and wheels ranging in size from 19 inch to 21 inch.

 As with the EQS, the EQE has been designed with optimum aerodynamic efficiency in mind. Benz cites it as one of the world’s most aerodynamic vehicles, with its slippery profile registering a drag coefficient of just 0.22.