BMW iX vs Mercedes EQE SUV 2024 twin check: which is the perfect posh electrical SUV?

Mercedes and BMW have been pure rivals for longer than most of us can bear in mind. As two of Germany’s huge three premium manufacturers, they’ve competed throughout a variety of segments through the years. 

Whether or not it’s within the compact govt class, super-saloons with the agency’s M and AMG badges, or trying to earn conquest gross sales amongst youthful prospects with small hatchbacks such because the 1 Collection and A-Class, there’s all the time a pair of adversaries searching for a battle. 

Traditionally, the bigger the automobile, the extra probably a Mercedes victory; the Stuttgart model has all the time excelled at luxurious. However with the phase transferring in the direction of electrification, does that also ring true? 

We’re pitting the marques towards one another for this newest battle within the class for high-end luxurious electrical SUVs that break the six-figure barrier. 

Mercedes provides up the brand new EQE SUV, whereas in BMW’s nook is the iX, a automobile that defeated Audi’s e-tron — since revised because the Q8 e-tron — in an Auto Specific highway check a few years in the past. So can Mercedes nonetheless maintain the luxurious crown, or will the iX stay undefeated towards newer German competitors?

Mercedes EQE SUV

It actually hammers residence the premium positioning of the Mercedes EV line-up that the EQE 500 SUV, examined right here in £121,760 AMG Line Premium Plus trim, sits under the even bigger and pricier EQS SUV.

Tech highlights 

The EQE SUV was designed as a ground-up pure-electric car, and is the fourth mannequin to make use of the model’s modular EV structure, after the EQS and EQE saloons, in addition to the EQS SUV. All 4 vehicles have a particular look that has been dictated by aerodynamics, which is why the tall, giant EQE SUV remains to be in a position to return a low coefficient of drag of 0.25Cd. 

Power is equipped by a 91kWh battery that’s mounted beneath the ground, which feeds a pair of electrical motors, one on every axle. The ensuing 402bhp and thumping 858Nm of torque look very wholesome on paper, however the EQE weighs 2,560kg. To spice up effectivity, the entrance motor could be decoupled in sure circumstances, whereas vitality could be recovered by way of regenerative braking. The motive force has 4 ranges to select from (together with full coasting with no regen) plus an adaptive setting dictated by the automobile primarily based on surrounding visitors and the highway format.

Because of wheel sizes and different fitted gear, the AMG Line Premium Plus right here has a WLTP-certified vary of 307 miles – the lower-spec AMG Line Premium can cowl an extra 17 miles.

The EQE SUV is fitted with air suspension that includes a four-link set-up on the entrance and a multi-link configuration on the rear.

Security: The EQE SUV was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP score when it was assessed in 2023. Outcomes have been robust throughout the board, with its Little one Occupant safety rating of 90 per cent being the very best of any automobile examined final yr.

On the highway

For its dimension, the EQE SUV is straightforward to drive round city. It’s additionally an incredible cruiser at larger speeds, but it surely’s much less spectacular on twisty roads, and regardless of its slippery physique form, effectivity is poor.

Round city: Our EQE was fitted with four-wheel steering, and round city it’s completely sensible. It slashes the turning circle from 12.3 metres with out the additional 10 levels of rear axle help to only 10.5 metres. 

Meaning this close to 5 metre-long SUV turns half a metre tighter than an A-Class hatch, or the identical because the supermini-sized Jeep Avenger. Nevertheless, the shine is taken off city driving by the brakes, which really feel slightly grabby at parking speeds.

A & B-roads: On twistier roads, the EQE SUV comes unstuck. A automobile like this may by no means be the final phrase in driver involvement, however properly weighted steering apart, the automobile feels torpid in its responses. Efficiency is powerful – 0-62mph takes simply 4.9 seconds – however the throttle feels nearly as lazy because the chassis, so it takes a agency press to encourage any kind of urgency. 

Of extra concern, given the efficiency, is that the brakes really feel as in the event that they’re struggling to carry the EQE SUV’s important mass to a cease.

On the plus aspect, journey consolation is easy for essentially the most half, however the physique isn’t as tightly managed appropriately, which leads to slightly side-to-side rocking throughout uneven highway surfaces.

Motorway: Excellent sound deadening, a easy journey and robust stability make the EQE SUV an incredible long-distance motorway cruiser. For individuals who enterprise on motorways with larger pace limits than our personal, the automobile’s journey peak drops by as much as 20mm at greater than 75mph to assist scale back drag.

Possession

Slip behind the wheel of the EQE SUV, and also you’re introduced with a really imposing slab of dashboard. It’s unnaturally excessive at its higher stage, which signifies that whatever the peak of our testers behind the wheel, we discovered ourselves jacking up the seat far larger than we’d like simply in order that we may see out. This additionally offsets the in any other case spectacular headroom up entrance – taller individuals might be drawing a advantageous line between visibility and house.

The cabin is dominated by the Hyperscreen infotainment array, which comes as commonplace on AMG Line Premium Plus fashions. With a lot display forward, there’s not a lot house to utilize the kind of supplies that imply older Mercedes vehicles really feel so luxurious. The elements that may be touched, such because the Alcantara and wooden panels on the decrease a part of the sprint, nonetheless really feel suitably posh.  

A premium model brings excessive expectations from its house owners. Primarily based on the outcomes of our 2023 Driver Energy buyer satisfaction survey, Mercedes doesn’t fairly reside as much as these calls for, with the producer taking a disappointing twenty fifth out of 32 within the model rankings. BMW fared slightly higher, however nonetheless not nice, in twenty first place.

Storage: An enormous cabin brings with it a variety of very beneficiant cubby choices. Slide again the picket panel under the central touchscreen and an enormous bin by which to retailer a smartphone is revealed. It additionally homes house for a pair of cup-holders, a part of a modular storage choice that may be eliminated fully for those who’d simply choose an enormous house. 

There are USB-C ports in all places: two in that foremost bin, two within the huge under-armrest house between the entrance seats, and two extra on the massive shelf beneath the centre console, which additionally options elastic strapping to carry objects securely. There are two extra USB-C sockets within the again, too. Elsewhere, the door pockets are giant, however the glovebox is surprisingly modest.

Practicality

There isn’t any faulting the house obtainable contained in the EQE SUV, each for passengers and for his or her issues.

Rear Area: Headroom and legroom are glorious behind the EQE SUV, with huge reserves of house for tall adults within the outer rear seats. The extensive cabin means it’s simple to sit down three throughout the bench, even when that centre seat is a bit more perched and never as smooth as these to both aspect.

Boot: A 520-litre boot quantity could be very beneficiant, and this may be bumped as much as 580 litres if the rear occupants are prepared to undertake a extra upright seating place. The EQE SUV’s rear bumper is sort of deep, so it’s essential watch out when loading objects on board, however the three-way-split rear seat backs drop nearly flat with the boot ground. On this place, the EQE provides up 1,675 litres of house. Neither automobile has a entrance boot.

What to purchase?

Which engine and trim we’d select

• Powertrain: The EQE 500 SUV is the center of three powertrain choices. The road-up begins with the 350; energy drops to 284bhp and vary is basically the identical, with higher effectivity balanced by a smaller 89kWh battery. On the high sits the 609bhp AMG EQE 53, which sprints from 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds.
• Trim: AMG Line Premium, Premium Plus and Enterprise Class are the three trim ranges paired with the five hundred powertrain. There’s a £13,000 step between Premium and Plus (which is identical value because the Enterprise Class) to justify the additional gear supplied. 
• Our selection: For the four-wheel steering alone, we’d goal for AMG Line Premium Plus.

BMW iX

The BMW seems to be off to a robust begin even earlier than these vehicles have turned a wheel. At £104,285 (or £112,115 with the elective extras of our check automobile) it comfortably undercuts its rival on value. Nevertheless, issues aren’t so simple when finance prices are calculated.

Tech highlights 

It doesn’t really feel as if EVs have been round for that lengthy, however BMW says the iX is already utilizing the model’s fifth-generation drivetrain tech. Right here, meaning a pair of electrical motors that use no cobalt of their development, and that are claimed to be 93 per cent environment friendly – far superior to any inner combustion engine. Mixed, they make 516bhp and 765Nm of torque – sufficient to haul this 2,510kg SUV from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. 

That weight is important, as a result of it means the iX weighs 50kg lower than the EQE SUV, even supposing one of many heaviest elements of an EV, the battery, has a capability of 105.2kWh – that’s 14.2kWh greater than its rival. 

As with the Mercedes, the iX makes use of a proprietary structure that options on quite a lot of vehicles. The CLAR construction is partly answerable for the load saving; there’s in depth use of carbon fibre within the automobile’s construction, a fabric that BMW has proudly left uncovered while you open the doorways. 

Regardless that it’s an SUV, BMW has nonetheless given the iX a suspension format which inspires enthusiastic driving; the iX makes use of a motorsport-style double-wishbone association on the entrance, with a multi-link set-up on the rear. 

Security: Euro NCAP assessed the iX in 2022, and it achieved a five-star score. Scores have been strong throughout the board, with its highest score coming within the Grownup Occupant class, the place the automobile’s eight airbags helped it obtain 91 per cent.

On the highway

Low-speed manoeuvres apart, the iX is healthier to drive than the Mercedes in nearly each space.

Round city:  It takes little time to dial your self into the BMW’s steering. In contrast with the Mercedes, the rack feels way more delicate and nearly slightly too mild. As with the EQE, four-wheel steering is fitted, but it surely isn’t as efficient as its rival’s. 

Refinement is excellent although; at low speeds, the iX is eerily quiet. Nevertheless, there’s a very slight fidget to the journey at low speeds, which isn’t current within the Mercedes.

A & B-roads: The best gulf separating these two vehicles’ talents comes with their chassis. Discover a set of corners, and the BMW is infinitely extra agile and responsive than its rival. Initially you might query whether or not that is an phantasm brought on by the lighter, quicker steering, however put that to at least one aspect and the iX reveals itself to be extra responsive but safe, higher balanced but grippier, and extra enjoyable whereas being much more composed. 

The iX can smother bumps which trigger the EQE SUV to rock back and forth, and it appears like a basically extra refined drive. 

There’s little to separate the 2 in efficiency, however the BMW has a slim edge and its throttle response is extra vigorous, additional boosting the impression that the iX is a lighter automobile.

Motorway: Any fidget brought on by these giant 22-inch wheels is lengthy gone at motorway speeds, and as with the EQE SUV, the iX is exceptionally succesful. The journey is great, and that low centre of gravity provides glorious stability. The throttle response makes lengthy inclines and overtakes really feel easy. It’s additionally ever so barely quieter than its rival, courtesy of much less wind rustle.

Possession

There’s a really totally different strategy to inside design between the Mercedes and BMW. The previous appears to have adopted a standard method that’s shared with earlier fashions, however with the newest tech shoehorned to suit, whereas the iX feels just like the design has stepped ahead a technology or two from its ICE-powered rangemates. 

The colors, supplies and general design are futuristic but fantastically completed, however the inclusion of the iDrive click on wheel for the infotainment system exhibits that some thought has been given to intuitive ergonomics. It’s a disgrace that the dashboard lacks bodily local weather controls, although. 

In stark distinction to the EQE SUV, the iX’s window line could be very low, so that you get a implausible view out, each forward and to the aspect. There’s loads of adjustment for the driving place, though the oddly formed steering wheel received’t be to everybody’s style. Some testers have been happy that it isn’t needlessly thick, as it’s on the model’s M-badged efficiency vehicles, although.

In the event you intend to utilize public speedy chargers typically, then BMW’s Flex card will come in useful. For the primary yr, it provides free subscription to Ionity and BP Pulse chargepoints and entry to discounted charging charges. The Mercedes Me app provides related advantages, and will also be linked to sure good residence options, enabling drivers to examine if they’ve left home lights on or doorways unlocked from their automobile.

Storage: Massive entrance door pockets are cut up into two sections; the entrance is designed to carry a big bottle, whereas there’s loads of room for extra normal storage behind. The glovebox is small, however the central bin between the entrance seats could be very deep. 

There’s a big open house between the entrance seats, which provides to the cabin’s open really feel, but it surely doesn’t assist storage. There are a few cup-holders within the centre console, although.

Practicality

The iX is sort of a match for the EQE SUV when it comes to each inside and boot house. In different phrases, it’s monumental inside.

REAR Area: A flat ground and people giant aspect home windows make the iX really feel very ethereal and spacious inside. The outer rear seats are snug, and the center seat is barely extra forgiving than the one within the Mercedes. Massive doorways and many house imply that putting in a toddler seat in both automobile is straightforward; the ISOFIX mounting factors are hidden behind a leather-based panel within the iX, and a few plastic clips within the EQE SUV.

Boot: Whereas the iX’s 500-litre boot simply falls wanting the EQE SUV’s for outright quantity, a shallower bumper makes it simpler to load cumbersome objects into the BMW. The rear seats could be folded utilizing buttons within the boot space, they usually sit nearly stage with the boot ground. Like this, the quantity is bigger than its rival’s, at 1,750 litres.

What to purchase?

Which engine and trim we’d select

• Powertrains: The iX is obtainable with a selection of three powertrains. The bottom xDrive40 begins at £70,985, however its battery is way smaller than the xDrive50’s, at 74.1kWh as an alternative of 105.2kWh, and its official vary is 251 miles. Its 322bhp is down too, however that can nonetheless be a lot for many drivers. The highest-spec £124,605 M60 sacrifices vary and luxury for even stronger efficiency.
• Trim: The xDrive50 is just obtainable in M Sport guise. This implies it will get extra imposing bumpers than the Sport, plus privateness glass and a unique design of alloy wheels.
• Our selection: For the additional vary it provides, the xDrive50 is the choose of the line-up.

Outcomes

Which automobile comes out on high?

Winner: BMW iX

Nearly three years on from its launch, the competitors remains to be but to meet up with the BMW iX. It’s not simply spectacular as an SUV, however as a luxurious automobile generally; journey consolation, refinement, inside house, tech and construct high quality are all sensible. 

Additionally think about that the iX feels a lot extra agile and is extra environment friendly than its rival right here, its vary is nice and charging speeds are speedy, and it’s extremely arduous to fault. In the event you’re in a position to overlook its difficult design, it’s nonetheless the perfect luxurious electrical SUV on the market.

Runner-up: Mercedes EQE SUV

The EQE SUV is refined and spacious, and present finance offers imply it’s inexpensive than the BMW. Nevertheless, in nearly each different means, the iX is considerably forward. 

The EQE isn’t environment friendly sufficient, feels heavy to drive (and cease), and the driving place appears to have been a secondary thought to an unlimited display. It isn’t as if Mercedes has forgotten the best way to make nice vehicles – the newest C and E-Lessons show that – however the model’s present EVs lag behind the perfect.

Rivals and different choices

The Tonale wins our twin check, however what else is on the market?

The good debate

What the Auto Specific check workforce would do…

John Mcllroy, editor–at–giant: “Though the EQE SUV chomps via electrons faster than we’d like, no less than it replenishes them at a powerful pace. With none pre-conditioning, we plugged the automobile into an Ionity charger and noticed speeds of 130kW from 30-50 per cent – not unhealthy in any respect.”

Richard Ingram, deputy editor: “The EQE SUV appears like a little bit of a stopgap within the Mercedes electrical line-up. From 2025, the model will launch EV solely architectures – three totally different scalable platforms relying on the scale of the automobile. For Merc’s sake, it must be taught so much from its earlier makes an attempt if it’s to maintain up.”

Daybreak Grant, image editor: “It’s actually superb simply how succesful the iX is. It feels prefer it moved the sport on, not just for what an EV ought to be able to at this value, but in addition a luxurious automobile. The inside feels posh but extra like an idea automobile than something I can consider that’s gone on sale in a very long time.”

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief: “The iX in these photos was my very own long-term check automobile for a number of months, and I used to be actually reluctant to provide it again – it’s simply so good at all the pieces. BMW’s EV division is on a roll in the mean time – however I can’t say that I warmed to the work of styling workforce as a lot.”

Dean Gibson, senior check editor: “The BMW is hardly a looker, however no less than it appears like some effort has gone into its styling. In distinction, the EQE SUV seems to be nameless. I can’t perceive why, as a result of vehicles just like the SL and C-Class present that Mercedes can nonetheless design good-looking automobiles.”

Which might you purchase? Tell us within the feedback part under…

Specs and costs