Posted at 8:45 a.m.
Two recent announcements made by Mercedes-Benz Canada testify to the prevailing winds that are currently guiding the strategies of automakers. On the one hand, the manufacturer is unveiling a new electric performance sedan and, on the other, it plans to stop offering its least expensive model.
A few months after the unveiling of the AMG variant of the large EQS sedan, it’s now the turn of the EQE to receive the same treatment. The intermediary obviously relies on a striking force that goes beyond the ordinary with the juxtaposition of two electric motors which provide the necessary traction by means of an all-wheel drive.
The 617 hp generated in total can be on familiar terms, even sow many V8s prepared by AMG in the past. The power can temporarily climb to 677 hp when the “boost” mode is engaged. A nod to the world of turbocharged engines. The Mercedes-AMG EQE can thus complete the standard measurement of 0-100 km/h in just 3.3 s to complete the momentum at a speed limited to 240 km/h. The effect of the emphasis on performance is, however, felt in terms of autonomy. It is 444 km away, according to more optimistic European data than here. The battery still has a capacity of 90.6 kWh, but its fast charging capacity is limited to 170 kW.
Aiming for agility in various contexts, rear steering is employed as well as continuously adjustable suspension elements developed by the high-performance subsidiary AMG and shared with the AMG EQS models and the AMG GT sedan. Their behavior is calibrated independently both in compression and in relaxation according to various variables to ensure good comfort and contained movements.
A brand that is less accessible
With the return four years ago of Maybach to the brand’s fold and the obvious focus on high-performance subsidiary AMG, Mercedes-Benz is undeniably keen to grow at the top, where profit margins matter.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MERCEDES-BENZ
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
It is therefore in direct line with this strategy that the manufacturer recently declared that it wanted to abandon its least expensive model, the A-Class. Mercedes-Benz Canada corroborated the information by specifying that the model, offered in both four-wheel and five-door, will no longer be sold in Canada after the 2022 model year.
Competing with the Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, the A-Class has a starting price of $39,500. In the process, the Canadian subsidiary of the brand with the star told us that this decision was based on a desire to “streamline the portfolio” of the manufacturer. It is specified that the CLA, GLA and GLB models will continue to be offered.