German automakers love to one-up each other. One brand makes a car with a 600 horsepower, another needs to make one with more. That’s just how it goes and it’s a trend that won’t change with the with electrification. The BMW iX M60 debuted with 610 horsepower and so now the new Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV has been released, with 677 horsepower. See what I mean?
The performance differences between the two cars are actually rather interesting. Most EVs don’t make their peak horsepower figures all the time. Instead, peak power is usually relegated to launch control, so as to not waste unnecessary battery juice. Under normal circumstances, the BMW iX M60 makes not 610 horsepower but 532 horsepower instead. Its normal torque figure is also 749 lb-ft. The 610 horsepower figure comes in during Sport mode, launch control bursts. During that same time, torque is bumped to 811 lb-ft. On the flip side, the AMG EQE SUV might make 677 horsepower during a quick burst but its normal power output is 617 horsepower. Torque is from the BMW, with 701 lb-ft in normal driving and 738 lb-ft max.
As for performance, BMW claims 3.6 seconds to 60 mph for the iX M60, while Mercedes claims 3.4 seconds. Those are just claimed figures and both cars are probably faster than their official times, so it will be interesting to see which is faster in the real world.
In terms of looks, neither car is particularly good looking. The BMW iX looks like a beaver on steroids and nuclear radiation, while the EQE AMG looks like a jelly bean that’s been eroded over by water, like a riverbed pebble, for thousands of years. However, the least offensive looking car is the Mercedes-AMG EQE, which looks just like a boring traditional SUV. The iX’s interior is fabulous but so too is the AMG’s so that’s pretty much a wash. The EQE’s is a bit more normal looking, while the iX’s cabin looks more like an upscale i3’s, so they’re both different strokes for different folks.
The BMW iX M60 is an excellent luxury SUV that’s also electric. It’s smooth, comfortable, quiet, refined, and surprisingly fun to drive. It’s also shockingly fast. I can only imagine that the AMG EQE will be similar but it will be interesting to see which one is best. We’ll just have to wait until the AMG EQE hits the road.
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