Mercedes-Benz will tackle the Tesla Model S with a dramatically-styled sedan on its new, dedicated electric platform.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan, which will enter production later this year, will slot in underneath the EQS that’s set for an imminent debut.
While the EQS will be sized similarly to the S-Class and will offer S-Class levels of luxury and technology, the EQE is an electric counterpart to the E-Class.
Rather than merely use the E-Class platform, however, it’ll join the EQS – plus the EQE and EQS SUVs – on Mercedes’ new Electric Vehicle Architecture.
Though the EQE has some visual similarities to the EQS, such as its curvaceous lines and wedge-shaped profile, it stands out with a look of its own.
The EQS is based on the Vision EQS concept, which was longer and wider than a long-wheelbase S-Class.
The EQE, in contrast, appears to be closer to the Tesla Model S in its footprint.
Though it has a sloping roofline and a dramatically-raked windscreen, it has a pert little notchback rear in place of a hatchback like the Model S or EQS.
The wheels are pushed out to the far corners of the vehicle, leaving minimal overhangs front and rear.
The belt line also appears to be steeply raked.
The EQE will be built in Germany like the EQS, though the EQE will also be built in China. It’s expected to offer dual-motor all-wheel drive.
The EQE and EQS SUV models will begin production next year in the US at the company’s Tuscaloosa, Alabama SUV factory.
While Mercedes-Benz is rolling out four models on this dedicated EV platform, it’s also expanding its range of electric versions of existing internal combustion engine-powered vehicles.
The recently revealed EQA, based on the GLA, will soon be joined by the GLB-based EQB.
