The electric onslaught never ends at Mercedes HQ considering a lot of EVs are on the way despite a busy 2021 which included the unveiling of the EQA and EQB crossovers as well as the EQS and EQE sedans. The three-pointed star has also previewed the EQS SUV with a glitzy Maybach concept and has promised to put a zero-emissions G-Class in production in 2024.
In the meantime, 2022 will be the year when both the EQS and EQE sedans will spawn SUV equivalents, following a January reveal of the hugely promising Vision EQXX with more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of range. Before all of these big debuts, there’s a lot of testing that needs to be done. Case in point, the EQE SUV has now been spotted roaming the streets of Germany while stubbornly keeping the full camouflage attire.
Considering the EQE sedan looks pretty much like a downsized version of the EQS, we are expecting the same story for their SUV counterparts. It is the impression we are getting from this disguised prototype, which had some interesting wheels likely designed with aerodynamic efficiency in mind since the five spokes are extremely wide and cover most of the surface.
Much like the big-brother EQS SUV, the upcoming EQE SUV will ride on a dedicated electric car platform and is going to be offered in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations with single- and dual-motor setups, respectively. The sedan has so far been presented only in the EQE 350 guise with a rear-mounted motor good for 288 horsepower and 391 pound-feet (530 Newton-meters) of torque, but 4Matic versions will follow and logic tells us there will be a high-performance AMG derivative as well.
From an air suspension and rear-wheel steering to a screen-heavy interior and a big 90-kWh battery pack, the Mercedes EQE SUV is shaping up to be a true Tesla fighter. It’ll also support over-the-air updates and charging at speeds of up to 170 kilowatts as seen in the sedan. Much like the sedan, its high-riding cousin has door handles that sit flush with the body for better airflow to improve efficiency. We can’t see the prototype’s interior, but rest assured it will have a completely flat floor thanks to the bespoke EVA2 modular platform.
Following its official premiere happening later next year, the Mercedes EQE SUV should go on sale either by the end of 2022 or early 2023.
[Source: walkoARTvideos / YouTube]
