It’s time to say goodbye to Mercedes-Benz’s “melting butter” design for its electric lineup. The updated design is coming soon, and it can’t come fast enough. Benz buyers have said “no thanks” to many EQ offerings, so Mercedes will shake things up by returning to more tried-and-true stylistic elements and familiar names. We’ve just gotten our first glimpse at what that means for the upcoming electric E-Class.
Videographers have captured a prototype of the next generation E-Class electric car in full zebra camouflage on acid. However, traditional design features still appear: straighter hood lines, a more upright trunk, and a distinctly longer dashboard-to-axle ratio.
The cabin is further back compared to the neutral jelly bean look of the outgoing EQ range. Cars with a cab-rear layout always read better to the eye—no offense to forward-control enthusiasts or conversion truck fans.
At the same time, since this is an electric car, the overhangs are nice and short. This platform allows designers to push the wheels into corners. The longer wheelbase not only sharpens the stance, but also enhances handling. Look closely at the video and you’ll notice active rear steering. This tracks; The current EQE offers it, and it’s good to see Mercedes keeping this feature for the next-gen car as well.
Was the design of the Mercedes EQ really that bad?
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Gordon Wagener, Mercedes-Benz’s head of design, defends why EQ doesn’t strike a chord with customers, but he also understands why. He describes the appearance as coming Ten years too soonHe also believes it should have been marketed differently. That’s understandable, especially in the top-shelf EQS sedan.
The customer who buys any S-Class has a specific perception of what that car means to them, and how it is perceived by others. The half-used bar of soap on the wheels never finds itself in the parking lot. No matter how much the owner tried to explain what Drag coefficient means for a car like this.
Aside from looks, the EQE and EQS don’t drive the way you’d expect, especially the AMG models. The power is huge, but Mercedes doesn’t deliver it in the way AMG buyers would like. I pushed the EQE AMG to its limits and overtook it on the track and left slightly impressed. I spent a week in a conventional S63 and left it to the wind. I keep thinking about how good this car is, it’s a car that always runs.
The next generation of Mercedes-Benz EVs and PHEVs will be even better. They will be born knowing what went wrong in the current EQ family. This early look at the electric E-Class is our first clue.
