It’s time to bid farewell to the Mercedes-Benz “melting butter” design of its electric lineup. Updated styling arrives soon, and it can’t come quickly enough. Benz buyers said “No thank you” to many of the EQ offerings, so Mercedes will switch things up by reverting to more tried-and-true stylistic elements and familiar names. We just got our first glimpse at what that means for the upcoming electric E-Class.
Videographers captured a next-gen E-Class EV prototype in full zebra-on-acid camo. Even so, the traditional design cues still come through: straighter hood lines, a more upright trunk, and a clearly longer dash-to-axle ratio.
The cab sits more rearward compared to the neutral jelly-bean look of the outgoing EQ lineup. Cars with a cab-rearward layout almost always read better to the eye—no offense to my Forward Control or conversion van fans.
At the same time, since this is an EV, the overhangs are nice and short. This platform lets designers push the wheels way out to the corners. A longer wheelbase not only sharpens the stance but also boosts handling. Look closely at the video and you’ll spot active rear steering. That tracks; the current EQE offers it, and it’s good to see Mercedes keep the feature for the next-gen car as well.
Was the Mercedes EQ Styling Really That Bad?
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz Design Boss Gordon Wagener defends but also understands why the EQ doesn’t strike a chord with customers. He describes the look as arriving ten years too early, and he also believes it should’ve been marketed differently. That’s understandable, especially on the top-shelf EQS sedan.
A customer purchasing any S-Class has a definite perception of what that car means to them, and how it’s perceived by others. A half-used bar of soap on wheels doesn’t hit the same at the valet stand. No matter how much the owner tried to explain what a coefficient of drag means to a car like this.
Beyond looks, EQE and EQS don’t drive the way you expect—especially the AMG trims. The power is tremendous, but Mercedes doesn’t deliver it in a way AMG buyers lust after. I’ve pushed an EQE AMG to and past its limits on a track and left mildly impressed. I spent a week in a traditional S63 and left blown away. I still think about how good that car is—an all-timer.
The next generation of Mercedes-Benz EVs and PHEVs will be better. They will be born with the knowledge of what went wrong with the current EQ family. This early look at the electric E-Class is our first proof.
