Here’s what dropped in India’s luxe auto space this month from the house of Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover

Mercedes’ EQE 500 SUV: Impressive 550km range, 0-100kmph in 4.9s, luxe interiors, 10-yr battery warranty. Range Rover Velar: Minimalist design, 2.0L petrol/diesel engine, 184kW power, 11.4" touchscreen, Terrain Response.

Mercedes’ EV Magic

This week, Mercedes-Benz India releases its third electric vehicle for the Indian market—the EQE 500 SUV—after the EQB SUV and EQS super luxe sedan, and this one is priced at a whopping INR 1.39 crore.

This SUV is quite a looker and has the aerodynamic design cues of the previous Mercedes EVs, with the black panel for a front grille and stylised, pointy nose. The door handles that flush into the body give it an even sleeker look. It has a muscular, yet refined look as it stands on 20-inch light alloy wheels.

This impressive 550km range, , is powered by a 90.56 kWh battery. The accelerator and the EQE demonstrate a very impressive torquey jump thanks to a maximum torque of 858 Nm, promising a 0 to 100 kmph sprint in a snappy 4.9 seconds, an impressive time stamp given the proportions of this SUV.

In terms of drive experience, we tested out this one on narrow mountain roads, and it handled the curves impeccably. Suspension also gets a thumbs up from us as we noticed when took the car off the tarmac onto mildly rocky terrain. While we give kudos to the Germans for packing in their cars with safety features, we would prefer some tweaks contextual to the Indian market - the anti-collision warning, for instance, needs to be manually turned off every time, else the car brakes with every passing animal, pedestrian or vehicle, which are expected on Indian roads.

What stands out are the interiors. The luxe element comes out with the massive 56-inch Hyperscreen, sweeping through the entire front dashboard . In addition to the digital driver display and the OLED central touchscreen, the passenger also gets an individual screen for climate control and infotainment..

From a utilitarian point of view, the cabin comes with lots of handy stowage . The magnolia wood storage compartment gives a design-heavy feel to the white cabin, which is standard Mercedes fare and sees no major upgrade. The MBUX infotainment and the 15-speaker Burmester speaker suite, and a Dolby Atmos Surround Sound System, results in a wholesome cabin experience.