New Mercedes EQE SUV comes with up to 687PS

Numbers that stand out? Try a cruising range with a brim-full battery of 366 miles (590km). A best 0-62mph time in the top AMG model of 3.5 seconds and 149mph top speed. A 106-mile top-up from the fastest charger in 15 minutes. A 1,800kg towing ability. All good, if not all available in a single version.

Numbers that stand out for less impressive reasons include a kerb weight around 2.7 tonnes and, unlike some of its predecessors, only five seats. A clue here is a wheelbase which at 3,030mm is 90mm shorter than that of the EQE saloon on whose platform the SUV is based. The SUV’s overall length is 80mm less than the sedan.

This may not matter a jot – Mercedes insists the SUV is among the most spacious cars in its class and if you really need seven perches you can always go up a class and get the seven-seat EQS SUV. But the more compact dimensions do point to a shift towards a sportier contender, as one glance at the rounded roofline and well planted stance will attest. There’s nothing gawky about this Merc SUV.

Mercedes explains the short wheelbase by saying it is key to a more performance-orientated model, and “the perfect starting point for realising an agile, highly emotional and luxurious driving experience.

So expect an E-class SUV that’s more fun to drive than before, and the most fun of all of them will be of course the AMG version, instantly spottable by its Hannibal Lecter-style visage of vertical chrome bars against a black panel grille.

There are two versions: the AMG EQE 43 4Matic and the AMG EQE 53 4Matic+. Both are loaded with all the good gear (mostly) as standard, including air suspension, adaptive damping and rear axle steering.

But the 53 4matic+ is the one you are going to want because it comes with a 48-volt electronic anti-roll system and the option of a Dynamic Plus package. This tops up the kilowatts to the tune of 505 (that’s 687PS) and torque to a round 1,000Nm (737lb ft). It should sound better too, with a trick new artificially-generated soundscape inspired by combustion-fired AMGs.

It is this form that the EQE hits its ultimate spec as would-be slayer of a rival like the almost equally powerful BMW iX. On paper the 53+ is in pole position with 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds (in Race Start mode), and a top speed of 149mph.

AMG’s entry EQE 43 version makes do with 476PS (350kW) for 0-62 in 4.3 seconds and 130mph. But it, like the 53, still gets two specially AMG-fettled motors (one at each end), the biggest 90.6kWh battery available, trick constantly variable all-wheel-drive and an AMG-ification of wheels (either 21s or 22s), tyres and gloss black styling details.

There’s a smattering of AMG-ness inside too, with special materials, trims and graphics. As the pictures will show, the EQE SUV cabin is already highly plush and technical thanks to a huge inheritance of hi-tech riches from the EQS. With the (optional in all models) Hyperscreen, it’s another impressive Merc interior.

Something else about the top AMG model that’s bound to be mighty impressive is the price – six figures certainly. But the price tags for the whole EQE SUV line-up are not yet confirmed, promised for nearer the UK arrival date of early in the new year, with, initially at least, all EQE SUVs to be sold alongside the combustion-engined GLE models.

First to arrive will be the non-AMG models. There are a couple to choose from, with variables being one (rear) motor or two for 4Matic all-wheel-drive, and power outputs from 288PS (215kW) to 402PS (300kW). The battery is the same 90kWh jobbie as the AMGs get so that amount of firepower in the least powerful entry model comes with a bonus of that WLTP-sanctioned 367-mile range.

The entry versions get steel springs but many of the features from the AMGs, including air suspension and rear axle steering for a tighter turning circle, will be available as options.