Mercedes-Benz Eqe300 vs BMW IX

What's the difference?

The EQE53 SUV is Mercedes-AMG's first fully-electric SUV.

That means it doesn't have a thundering V8 like a lot of its petrol-powered AMG siblings, but what it lacks in ear-splitting noise it makes up for in colossal but quietly delivered shove.

Which, when you have a sleeping child in the back, is exactly what you might need, because this after all is a family review and we're testing how good this silent beast of an SUV is when it comes to family duties.

When the BMW iX first showed up a few years ago, it was a promising look at what BMW seemed capable of when it comes to electric cars.

While mildly flawed, the iX was fast, comfortable and felt properly premium. Now it’s had a decent update, with the iX xDrive45 M Sport here to replace the former entry-level xDrive 40.

BMW claims among other mechanical and tech updates a power increase of 25 per cent, a 30 per cent greater energy content for the battery, a 38 per cent increase in driving range and a 17 per cent faster charging rate.

But in the time since the iX launched, there have been big strides in the premium electric SUV space, including new arrivals from European opposition like the Polestar 3; even a new American in the form of the Cadillac Lyriq.