➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Twitter paywalls

• 💸The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan will start at $76,050

• 🍎It is now the most affordable way to get Apple spatial audio with Dolby Atmos in your car

• 🚗Other supported vehicles include the Benz EQE, EQS, and S-Class as well as Maybach

• 🔋The base EQE’s specs are comparable to the Tesla Model Y

• 🤷However, there are price, performance, and software compatibility trade-offs for each

On Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz finally revealed the price of its all-electric EQE sedan, which as you might expect, is not cheap. Starting at $76,050 – the extra $50 presumably there to taunt you – is set to arrive at dealerships by the end of the fall season, which technically ends in late December. 

Perhaps the only shocking part of this news is that, unlike the S-Class-inspired EQS, the German carmaker’s other electric sedan coming out this year, the EQE costs a great deal more than its petroleum-powered counterpart, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

This announcement comes just a few weeks after Apple introduced its spatial audio technology to automotive vehicles for the first time, complete with Dolby Atmos support, starting with certain Mercedes models. Those with the disposable income to afford a Benz EQE or EQS (sedan or SUV), Benz S-Class, or Maybach S-Class (lol) can experience Apple Music spatial audio through the MBUX infotainment system. 

With its pricing confirmed, it’s safe to say the EQE sedan is the most affordable path to experiencing Apple spatial audio in your car, at least for now. While the cost of its SUV equivalent remains a big question mark, the floor for the EQS SUV is higher than that of the sedan version, according to Car and Driver. Only $100 higher, but higher nonetheless. 

The base price for each Mercedes model compatible with Apple spatial audio is as follows:

• 2023 Benz EQE sedan: $76,050

• 2023 Benz EQE SUV: TBA (comparable to $83,200 BMW iX)

• 2023 Benz EQS sedan: $105,450

• 2023 Benz EQS SUV: $105,550

• 2023 Benz S-Class: $111,100

• 2023 Maybach S-Class: $184,900 (lol)

As for specs, the base model Mercedes-Benz EQE lands somewhere between the Tesla Model Y Long Range ($58,190) and Model Y Performance ($62,190), with a few notable trade-offs. While even the base Model Y offers significantly higher horsepower at up to 384 HP versus the EQE’s 288 HP, the cheapest EQE packs about 10% more torque. The EQE’s range falls in the middle of the two at up to 305 miles before it’s time to recharge. An upgraded all-wheel drive EQE featuring a more powerful engine is expected to go on sale by the end of 2022, with a souped-up 677 HP AMG version to follow early next year. 

Unlike anything made by Tesla, however, the Mercedes-Benz EQE is compatible with CarPlay (and Android Auto) out of the gate. Apple purists can rest assured they won’t have to pay $9 a month for Tesla’s proprietary infotainment system or quite literally jailbreak the Tesla to install CarPlay yourself with a complicated Raspberry Pi-powered workaround.