Mercedes E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon W214 vs Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Giulia Veloce hits 100 km/h in 5.26 s versus 5.31 s for the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon. Despite lacking instant torque, 280 hp of power compensates. The 0.05 s gap is negligible: both vehicles are neck and neck.

At 200 metres, the Giulia Veloce is doing 135 km/h against 135 km/h for the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon. The gap is 0.02 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the Giulia Veloce crosses the line in 13.56 s versus 13.57 s. The 0.01 s gap represents roughly 0 m of track

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The Giulia Veloce maxes out at 240 km/h while the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon keeps accelerating towards 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.06 s.

Around 433 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 10 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon finishes in 24.58 s versus 24.89 s. The 0.31 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the E 400 e 4MATIC Saloon is capped at 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h, the Giulia Veloce at 240 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

Instant electric torque gives an advantage off the line. The higher top speed of the combustion engine gives an advantage over longer distances. The distance at which one catches the other depends on the top speed differential.

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 8.31 seconds. The 0.05 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.