Mercedes-Benz EQS
Take a look at this thing. This is what happens when some of the best automobile designers and engineers in the business imagine the ultimate luxury sedan that is poised to take on the future of personal transportation. The elegant and stylish Mercedes-Benz EQS is the flagship in a showstopping fleet of new all-electric vehicles coming from the famous German automaker.
Four Wheels that Move the Soul
The EQS melds together indulgent comfort and amazing performance in a four-door sedan that is packed with mind-blowing technology. If you're on the hunt for an ultra-advanced executive vehicle that you'll be proud to drive, look no further. The electrified equivalent of an S-Class sedan, the EQS features a long list of incredible new tech. This includes rear wheels that turn up to 10 degrees for tight cornering and easy parking, driver profiles that respond to your fingerprint, and a jaw-dropping Hyperscreen that wraps the entire dash in seamless glass touchscreens to access control gauges, infotainment, safety and driver assist wonders. And did we mention there are six USB-C ports in the cabin to keep you connected?
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The luxurious interior includes a wide, flat floor, providing plenty of room for five and wraps you in premium leather seats that will massage you and caress you with headrest pillows that heat your neck and shoulders.
Take your Pick
You have several choices to make when picking out the EQS that best fits your needs. It comes in three trim levels with three different powertrains. The base model EQS450+ features one electric motor for rear wheel drive, producing 329 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The EQS450+ 4Matic adds more power for 355 horses and an impressive 590 pound-feet of torque plus all-wheel drive to the mix. Stepping up to the high end EQS580 4Matic gets you an electric motor at each axle for all-wheel drive and a mighty 516 horsepower and 611 pound-feet of torque. Performance wise, the EQS450+ will take you from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 5.4 seconds while the meatier EQS580 will rocket you to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
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All versions of the new Mercedes utilize adaptive air suspension for an effortless and cloud-like ride and are available with 19-, 20-, or 21-inch wheels. According to industry sources, the standard rear-axle-steering system allows you to angle the rear wheels up to 4.5 degrees while an optional upgrade can rotate them 10 degrees for tight maneuvering and increased stability at high speeds.
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Being that this is an EV, adjustable regenerative braking can be engaged to slow the big sedan down by just taking your foot off the accelerator. Our test car came in Pinnacle trim which includes heated front and rear seats, massage for front seat passengers, a head-up display, and four-zone automatic climate control. All models have a battery capacity of 107.8 kWh. The EQS450+ will take you 350 miles before you need a charge and the more performance oriented EQS580 will take you 340 miles. DC Fast Charging will get you from 20- to an 80-percent charge in just 30 minutes. The EPA tells us that the EQS450+ is the most efficient model with ratings of 97 MPGe in the city and on the highway. *All mileage is EPA Estimated.
Inside the Lap of Luxury
As you might expect from Mercedes-Benz, the lavish interior of the EQS is bathed in rich, high-quality materials and saturated with a multitude of luxury amenities. You'll notice rich walnut trim, expressive ambient interior lighting, plush headrest pillows fore and aft, and the Executive Rear Seat package includes an individual tablet to control the infotainment goodies, adjustable back seats with massage function, and the afore-mentioned neck and shoulder heaters. Another nice option is the awe-inspiring panoramic sunroof. While there is ample room throughout the cabin, you'll also discover plenty of room in back when you open the rear hatchback. We're talking 22 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seats and 63 cubic feet of space with those rear seats stowed away.
Visually, the most prominent feature up front is the massive and expansive 56-inch Hyperscreen. This optional digital dash includes a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, a 17.7-inch central touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch passenger screen. Besides the driver profile fingerprint scanner, the EQS also includes voice command, augmented-reality navigation, and an exquisite Burmester surround sound system.
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The Hyperscreen encompasses Mercedes' MBUX infotainment system including such safety and driver assist features as adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and lane keep assist, as well as self-parking assist.
Behind the Wheel
We managed to get some time on the road with the EQS580 version and driving this 205.4-inch-long land yacht is an experience in itself. Despite its luxurious appearance and over 6,000 pounds of weight, this thing is a rocket. An extremely quiet rocket. The soft suspension makes this Merc pounce when you punch it, and we hit zero to 60 mph in the promised 3.7 seconds, managing a quarter mile in 12.1-seconds.
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Sport Mode tightens up the adaptive air suspension for quick and accurate cornering and we were impressed with the braking as well. You can manage a panic stop from 60 mph in just 105 feet. The pedal is firm, solid, and smooth.
On city streets, the ride is a bit pillowy as you might expect from a Mercedes. Thanks to a low center of gravity, body roll is kept to a minimum and this big car feels amazingly light and nimble. All-wheel steering makes it feel like a much smaller car and that all-electronic steering is incredibly precise. We found the visibility in the sedan to be remarkably good as well. We hear that an AMG version will be coming soon and we can't wait to test it out.
Final Thoughts
While this high luxury EV flagship is impressive, we are looking forward to doing a head-to-head comparison with the all-new BMW i5 with its starting MSRP price of $67,795. That's partially because the base model EQS450+ has a starting MSRP of $105,550. While the Mercedes is without a doubt the most technologically advanced luxury sedan on the market, it is definitely on the spendy side. Other luxury EV sedans such as the Lucid Air have a starting MSRP of $89,050, and the excellent Porsche Taycan starts at $88,150. Also keep in mind that the all-wheel drive EQS450+ 4MATIC starts at $108,550 and the top-of-the-line twin motor EQS580 starts at $127,100.
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All things considered, if we were going to pony up the dinero to buy this study in excess and elegance, we'd opt for the EQS450+ model. Though it only produces 329 horses, the all-electric powertrain is still plenty quick, and after all, this is a high style luxury executive sedan with a 350-mile range that demolishes any thoughts of range anxiety. Plus, think of it this way: it is a tech laden all-electric luxury sedan that is good enough to proudly wear the Mercedes-Benz badge.
