Mercedes-Benz is planning to expand its electric vehicle lineup in Malaysia with two new models later this year. This was revealed through a recent interview by Bloomberg with the Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM), Bettina Plangger.
The company already has an extensive electric vehicle lineup in Malaysia at the moment which includes the EQA 250, EQB 350 4MATIC, EQC 400 4MATIC, EQE 350+, and the locally-assembled EQS 500 4MATIC. In addition to that, there are also souped-up AMG models such as the EQE 53 4MATIC+ and EQS 53 4MATIC+.
Said to be launched in “the final quarter of 2023”, the interview did not reveal the actual model names though. Then again, there are really only two Mercedes-EQ models that have not yet made their way to Malaysia: the EQS SUV and EQE SUV.
Mercedes EQS SUV quick specs
Launched in early April 2022, the EQS SUV is built on the same Mercedes-Benz Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) platform as per its sedan counterpart. The fully electric crossover SUV can be obtained in three variants including the EQS 450+, EQS 450 4MATIC, and EQS 580 4MATIC.
Featuring a rear-wheel drive setup, the EQS 450+ SUV electric motor offers an output of 265kW (355hp) alongside 568Nm of torque. On the other hand, the EQS 450 4MATIC version of the SUV which has a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration, delivers the same 265kW output but with a much higher torque at 800Nm.
The EQS 580 4MATIC SUV pushes the performance envelope further with a total output of 400kW (536hp) and 858Nm of torque. As if that is not enough, there is also the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV which has an even higher output of 491kW (658hp) and 950Nm of torque.
Interestingly, Mercedes has fitted the same 107.8kWh battery into all four variants of the EQS SUV. That being said, their maximum WLTP range still different from one to another.
The company said that the EQS 450+ SUV has a maximum WLTP range of 660km while EQS 450 4MATIC and 580 4MATIC have a similar WLTP range of 613km. As for the EQS 680 SUV which is the first EV to be positioned under the Maybach sub-brand, it can deliver a maximum WLTP range of 600km.
Just like their battery capacity, all four EQS SUV models can support DC charging of up to 200kW. This allows them to be charged from 10% to 80% in just 31 minutes.
As for the AC charging, they come standard with an onboard 11kW charger although customers can choose to have the optional 22kW charger instead. This with an exception to the Maybach’s EQS 680 SUV which is equipped with a 22kW onboard AC charger from the get-go.
Mercedes EQE SUV quick specs
The EQE SUV was revealed to the world five months after the EQS SUV. Similarly, this model also comes in several variants such as the EQE 350+ SUV which has a single-motor rear-wheel drive setup with 215kW (288hp) output and 565Nm of torque.
There is also the EQE 350 4MATIC has the same 215kW output but has a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration that has much higher torque at 765Nm. The third variant which is the EQE 500 4MATIC offers an even higher output at 300kW (402hp) together with 858Nm of torque.
Unlike the EQS SUV, there is no Maybach model for the EQE SUV though. However, there is still the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV option which is available in two variants including the AMG EQE 43 4MATIC.
While it may have similar 350kW output as per EQE 350 4MATIC, the AMG version has a much higher torque at 858Nm. However, it is still behind the AMG 53 4MATIC+ which can deliver an output of 460kW (617hp) alongside a whopping 1000Nm of torque.
Battery-wise, all five EQE SUV variants are fitted with a 90.6kWh battery pack. Since each of them produces a different level of output, the range that one would get from these EQE SUVs also varies from one to another.
The EQE 350+ has the best WLTP range among them with 590km which is then followed by the EQE 350 4MATIC which has a WLTP range of 558km. Despite having more performance, the EQE 500 4MATIC’s WLTP range is still not too bad at 547km.
The AMG models have an even shorter range which does not come as a surprise given the amount of firepower that they can deliver. According to Mercedes-Benz, the EQE 43 4MATIC can deliver a WLTP-rated range of 488km while the more powerful EQE 53 4MATIC+ maxes out at 470km.
When it comes to DC charging, both non-AMG and AMG versions of the EQE SUV can support up to 170kW. This also applies to their AC onboard chargers whereby 11kw is a standard but customers can opt for the more powerful 22kW option depending on their market.
How about Mercedes EQT and EQV?
The Mercedes-EQ family is not just about sedans and SUVs though. Back in May, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new passenger van series called the Mercedes EQT while the facelift variant of the Mercedes EQV medium-sized van was announced last month.
However, we don’t expect these electric vans to be launched here given that vans are not part of the brand’s focus in Malaysia as far as the consumer segment is concerned. Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles are under the responsibility of Hap Seng Star since 2018.
Registration of interest is already open
Aside from the Bloomberg report, another sign that these SUVs will be making their way to Malaysia soon is the fact that you are already able to register your interest on Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s website. At the moment, you can do so for the EQS SUV, the EQE SUV and Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV but not the AMG variants of the EQE SUV.
Of course, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. We will keep you posted once we received more updates from Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, so stay tuned.
