THE all-electric EQE is what passes for an EV version of the Mercedes E-Class saloon.

It has its detractors - mainly about its ‘dynamism' - but I for one was bowled over. If this is the future for the German premium brand, bring it on.

There are three different versions, the EQE 300 being the entry level. There are though four different trim levels of which AMG Line is just below the summit.

The standard EQE 300 is also offered with Premium and Premium Plus equipment packs.

However, even the standard array of kit is strong - LED headlights, adaptive suspension, heated seats front and rear, four-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting and a reversing camera.

All EQE models come equipped with Mercedes' latest MBUX infotainment system as standard.

The 300 derivative uses an 89kWh battery offering an official range of 388 miles. This one was riding on 21-inch wheels, which would wipe a good 30 miles off that.

I think it's very stylish and a number of people commented on its good looks, especially the front grille which is imprinted with very small versions of Merc's three-pointed star.

The interior is as luxurious and well-finished as you would expect of any Mercedes. It's plush with high quality fit and finish.

The AMG Line comes with red dash-top double-stitching and intricate Burmester speaker grilles. The Burmester surround sound system is a 710-watt, 15 speaker set-up which sounds fabulous at any volume.

A 12.8-inch OLED infotainment centre screen which includes a fingerprint scanner that can be used to start the car and save settings to pre-programme elements such as the seating position or radio station to the driver's profile, dominates the interior. There's also a 12.3-inch instrument display.

The touchscreen is bright and responds instantaneously as you'd expect a modern smartphone to do. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are built-in.

AMG Line Premium Plus models come with Mercedes' Driving Assistance Package Plus, which includes Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, adaptive cruise control, Active Evasive Steering Assist and an exit warning function for when you're getting out of the car.

The EQE has an 80mm longer wheelbase than an E-Class and that really brings benefits in the back for leg room, which is very generous. Despite the sloping rear, headroom will be fine for all but the tallest passengers.

Boot space is 430 litres. There is some underfloor storage but it's too small to hold any of the car's charge cables, and there's no additional storage under the bonnet. You can fold the EQE's rear seats down in a 40:20:40 split and doing so increases the luggage capacity to 895 litres.

Ride comfort and refinement are both excellent - the air suspension soaks up all but the largest bumps and potholes - and body roll is well controlled considering the car's size and 2.3-tonne kerbweight. There's also a huge amount of grip if you feel like racing through a corner. With 550Nm of torque going to the rear wheels, you might just fancy that.

On the motorway, it's particularly smooth and quiet.

To help with economy, there's four modes for the regenerative braking - off, low, high and intelligent - with ‘high' setting allowing one-pedal driving.

The rear window is notably small so the all-round cameras come in very handy.

The EQE has amaximum charging speedof 170kW which allows for a 10-80 per cent top up in 31 minutes. Fully recharging the EQE's enormous battery will take 14 and a half hours using a 7.4kWhome wallbox.