The performance stats are all impressively heavy-fisted. With an electric motor on each axle and fully variable all-wheel drive the EQE53 4MATIC+ equipped with the optional Dynamic Plus pack and boost function delivers peaks of 687bhp and 738lb ft. This serves up a 0-62mph time of 3.3sec and 150mph top speed but even without Dynamic Plus, 3.5sec and 137mph are hardly tardy and raise the prospect of an anxiety soothing 327-mile range.
Assets for the basic four-link front/multilink rear suspension layout include air springs with adaptive adjustable damping optimised with AMG-specific wheel carriers, suspension links and stiffer anti-roll bars. The suspension control unit analyses data – including data from the acceleration and wheel path sensors – to adjust the damping force for each wheel in a few milliseconds. The AMG ‘specific’ in this case is a much wider spread between sportiness and comfort. Up to 3.
Deeply contoured seats kiss perfection for comfort and support and, if you can find a long enough stretch of deserted blacktop to experience the lung-chuffing thump of all that instant torque, standing on the brake and flattening the accelerator to arm the Race Start launch mode is a must, if only the once. It’s laughably brutal and triggers a tightening of the seat belts that actually hurts and is completely unnecessary as you’re already being pinned to the seat by the acceleration.
Repeat the experience with AMG sound generator ‘Performance’ program switched on and inspiration levels remain about the same but they’re joined by a noise that sounds like the first gen Starship Enterprise’s warp drive winding up, a touch of runaway London underground tube train and a particularly unconvincing induction growl. Switch it off, dial back the pace a hair, select Comfort and the all is suddenly a sublime and sensationally swift EV waft. Eight-tenths is the sweet spot.