You meet the nicest EVs at a charging station. Parked outside a local shopping mall, either plugged in to Level 3 chargers or waiting, were the cream of the crop of electric vehicles. My 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG was humming along, going from 41% to 100% charged in 55 minutes as I talked to owners of two BMW iXs, two more Audi eTrons, a Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6, and a Tesla.

Parked next to the charger, the EQE AMG sat streamlined and mildly aggressive, low-slung and aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.26. Many of the other EV owners took a look inside and out as we all got charged up.

There’s a big 3-pointed star on the faux grill, its 15 silver bars just decoration on a streamlined nose flanked by trick LED headlights with DRL bars. Those headlights perform a shutdown dance of thin bars flowing on the ground ahead. There’s a discrete AMG badge, and a classic Benz badge on the leading edge of a very rounded hood. The aggression one thinks about with an AMG product — Mercedes’ legendary in-house performance tuners — becomes apparent with lower side intakes bulging with some muscle, there to aid in the aero around the front tires.  The lower center intake is trimmed in silver with splitters to aid the aero. And that hood is locked – no owner access to any frunk or electronics there. A pop-out door on the driver’s fender is there to add windshield wiper fluid.

There’s minimal front overhang. The aggressive side intakes flow gently into muscular front fenders wrapped tightly around staggered 21-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber on 20-spoke alloy wheels, done in semi-matte black with gold calipers clamping huge cross-drilled carbon ceramic disc brakes.

The cab-forward design means the raked windshield starts at about those front wheels’ midpoint, then arcs gracefully up and aft to a small fastback rear window and short deck with angled spoiler as it rounds down to sleek LED taillights connected with a lit strip.

There’s just a hint of the usually more macho AMG aero touches — its sleek, wide and low.

Step in and at first glance it’s just a cool Benz with very supportive sports bucket seats. The driver will find massage, heat, cooling and active support that nudges thighs and back while driving to ease fatigue. Both sable brown Nappa front seats hold you in on any curve, side bolsters squeezing just right, with embossed AMG badges on the high seatback head restraints.

The sweeping dash panel lays patterned real wood across its face, topped with a black, satin silver and copper band with integrated air vents under accent lighting that sweeps into the doors. Dash and doortops are done in a muted sable brown suede, while turbine exhaust alloy air vents cap the dash’s outer corners.

An AMG Performance steering wheel is clad in stitched Nappa leather with a flattened lower section. Aluminum paddles for setting various regeneration levels are behind the wheel. On the frontside of the wheel there are touch controls for audio, cruise control, phone, the gauge and central screen and more. Most of the wheel controls are adjustable with a fingertip slide.

Small LCD screens with controls below the spokes handle drive and suspension modes, plus interior powertrain sounds.

A rumbling organ note can rise as the speed does. When using RACE MODE/Launch control, and as you right-foot-brake and mash the accelerator, a warp speed note rises until you let it go — more later. The wheel is power adjustable. Below, there are AMG sports pedals and door sill trims with illuminated AMG lettering.

The configurable gauge display can show a traditional 180-mph speedometer along with power use, a charge display, or streamlined screens with digital and bar graph information. The center can display horsepower and torque, G-force, navigation, audio and more.

The central dash screen sweeps down into the gloss black floating center console. It’s a clean design with a slim bar with a mechanical drive mode button, then more touch controls for cameras and other ancillary stuff. Cup holders, inductive phone charger and two USB ports are under a door. There is deep storage under the console cushion and more space in the console’s open lower level. Voice commands are triggered by saying “Hey, Mercedes.”

Other than ducking under the swoopy roof, there’s plenty of head and leg space for two in back. The seatbacks split and fold to expand a deep trunk. There’s even a storage spot under the carpeted floor.

Power, grace and pace at speed are what makes an AMG. But in petrol-powered versions, there’s also the growl of a supercharged V-8 to accompany speed.

Not so with the EQE AMG, although the pace is more than plenty thanks to AMG-specific electric motors. For you geeks there’s a 328-volt high-performance drive lithium-ion battery with a usable energy content of 90.6 kWh. AMG driving sounds come from special speakers, a bass actuator and a sound generator, giving aural input. AMG V-8. Lock the car and it emits a resounding bassy roll like the last key on a huge church organ.

There are five drive programs — Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. They adjust power and performance characteristics, suspension settings and sound effects. Maximum drive power can be selected through the Sport+ or RACE START without boost, while Slippery allows 50%, or 308 hp.

Set in Comfort with reduced power, holding power draw to 55%, a moderate launch saw 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, with decent passing power. Sport+ with launch control and traction disabled saw a neck-snapping slingshot launch that rockets off the line with no wheelspin or loss of straight line control. I whacked my head on the head restraint as all 617 hp and 701 lb-ft of torque hit the pavement through all four tires. It hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and 100 mph in 7.1 seconds, only the sound of tires on pavement.

We set up AMG Dynamic Plus with boost function – that’s call Mercedes considers110% power, or 677 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque – then used RACE MODE launch control. Left foot brake, right foot accelerator as a warp drive soundtrack rises inside and out – wild! Red bands flash in the gauge display – in the time it takes to say 100% power, we saw 60 mph in 3 seconds, and 100 mph in 7.2 seconds, the motors’ rpm not tailing off. We saw 1G on launch.

Range takes a hit when you play. And while that “Authentic” or “Performance” sound program lets your ears know what the motors are doing as you depress the speed pedal, I often just clicked on “Balanced,” which made no sound at all.

My favorite was Sport mode — tight steering, taut but forgiving suspension, very rapid passing power when demanded, and 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.

For comparison, the most powerful EV I’ve tested before the M-B EQE AMG was the Kia EV6 GT with a front-mounted 160kW motor, and rear-mounted 270 kW motor. In GT mode, it gave 576-hp with 545 lb-ft. of torque – 60 mph in 3.4, and 100 mph in 7.9 seconds. And to compare another AMG, how about the 2015 S65 AMG with 6-liter twin turbocharged V-12 – 621 horsepower and a formidable 738 pound-feet torque for 60 mph in 4 seconds and 100 mph in 10.

The EQE battery was fairly quick at topping off at charging stations. On Level 3, we saw an 277 miles of estimated range when charging to 100%.

Our EQE had variable all-wheel-drive, distributing drive torque between front and rear axles quicker than a mechanical system. Sport and Sport+ are more rear-biased. The EQE also has air suspension with adaptive damping, a four-link front axle and multilink rear suspension with AMG-specific suspension links and antiroll bars. In the S and S+ drive programs, the AMG EQE drops .6 inches. There’s also rear axle steering up to 3.6 degrees in the opposite direction up to 37 mph for tighter cornering. Above 37 mph, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the fronts for better handling stability in fast lane changes or evasive maneuvers.

Comfort is taut enough, not mushy and fine in daily driving. But even on its stiffest Sport+, the ride wasn’t flinty or jarring, a nice hint of rebound control over bumps. In Sport+ mode, the EQE AMG is a tight, agile and near-neutral sedan that has minimal body roll as it carves curves. It stays planted, hoovered to tarmac as it tackled every corner I tossed it into. Even over pavement cracked by roots, the suspension just thumped with a cushioned blow and no upset. And that’s with 21-inch rubber.

The steering had a tight feel in any mode, with nice feedback in racier modes. The full regenerative system was my go-to most of the time, becoming like my “downshift” running into a corner. But our optional AMG ceramic high performance compound brakes – 17.3-inch front/14.9-inch rear with booster – had a traditional pedal feel with serious bite and control high up, and serious halting power with no nose dive. No fade either.

Power, handling and stopping is pure AMG. There’s also an AMG TRACK PACE in the infotainment system that permanently records more than 80 vehicle-specific data points (i.e. speed, acceleration). Lap and sector times are displayed on selected tracks in the system. For safety, the EQE AMG has lane keep and blind spot alert, surround-view camera with overhead simulation, backup and other warnings. The smart cruise control maintains speed and distance with traffic, stopping and restarting in stop-and-go traffic. It also reads speed limit signs and will automatically slow down when it spots one – alarming when you are in a 15-mph school zone on a weekend when classes are out. It can plan the fastest and most convenient route, including charging stops, and direct you to the nearest charging site, all by asking the AI.

A base Mercedes-Benz EQE with 288 hp starts at $74,900. Our EQE AMG with power, suspension, tires, seats and that RACE MODE starts at $106,900 – options included $2,090 black/brown Nappa leather; $5,450 ceramic brakes; $1,100 performance tires; $1,400 AMG wheels; $750 AMG Night Accent Package, and a few more items for a final of $127,390.

Is this EQE a real AMG? Yes, with speed, great handling and prodigious brakes. But I do miss that V-8 roar. That said, Warp 9, Mr. Sulu – now!

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE AMG specifications

Vehicle type – 5-seat all-wheel-drive all-wheel-drive EV sports sedan

Base price – $106,900 ($127,390 as tested)

Powertrain type – Two permanently excited synchronous motors

Horsepower without/with AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package (net) – 617/677

Torque without/with AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package (lb-ft) – 701/738

Transmission – 1-speed direct drive

Overall length – 195 inches

Overall width – 75 inches

Wheelbase – 122.8 inches

Height – 58 inches

Curb weight – 5,534 lbs.

Estimated range on full charge – up to 277 miles indicated

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