This new flagship EQS EV represents the current culmination of Mercedes’ electrification ambitions.
For those wanting to transition out of their current S-Classes into an all-electric alternative, there really hasn’t been an all-electric luxury sedan to fill its large boots. Sure the e-sedan market is saturated with the likes of the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan and more recently the Audi e-tron GT, but all these aforementioned alternatives tend to skew towards being primarily sporty instead of actually being the last word in luxury.
Handily however for these discerning yet eco-conscious customers, Mercedes themselves looks to have solved this all-electric luxury sedan problem with the recent launch of its new EQS. A car that has generated quite a lot of publicity lately courtesy of its gigantic 56-inch Hyperscreen that spans the width of its dashboard, there is actually quite a lot more to unpack from this all-electric S-Class alternative than just its tech.
Starting first with its exterior design of this dedicated ground-up EV, it is fair to say that the EQS striking to say the least. Moving away from the traditional three box design of the traditional S-Class in favour of a cab-forward, ‘one-bow’ design concept, this rounded silhouette is topped off with a blanked off grille flanked by triangular LED headlights up front, massive 20-inch alloy wheels down the side and a full-width LED light bar round the rear of its fastback-esque tailgate.
While this more curvaceous design direction may not be to everyone’s tastes, it does serve a rather handy purpose in the aerodynamics department. That is because Mercedes is touting that this EQS currently holds the production car coefficient of drag (Cd) record of an astoundingly low 0.20, and that is even with the sportier EQS580 4Matic AMG Line which sports more aggressive front and rear bumpers, in addition to larger 21-inch alloys wheels to hint at the more powerful powertrain under its skin.
Conveniently moving onto the powertrain of the EQS then, this flagship Mercedes EV currently comes in two flavours: the single rear-motored EQS450+ that makes 329 hp and gets from 0-100 km/h in 6.2 seconds or the dual-motor all-wheel drive EQS580 4Matic which outputs 516 hp and completes the century sprint in 4.3 seconds. Regardless of variant chosen however, the top speed of both trim levels are capped at 210 km/h in order to extract the maximum range out of both its new (and massive) 107.8 kW battery pack.
Just touching on the battery pack for a tad bit more, Mercedes claims a whopping WLTP-rated range of 770 km and the ability to be able to add 300 km of range in 15 minutes when charging at its 200 kW peak. There will also be a smaller 90 kWh variant to come some time down the line, as well as what is rumoured to be a crazy 715 hp AMG trim too.
Now moving inside meanwhile, the star of the show within the leather-lined interior of the EQS will undoubtably be its (optional) 56-inch Hyperscreen display that comes complete with 8 CPUs, 24GB of RAM and latest MBUX software. Massive screen aside however, this flagship Benz EV is still nevertheless filled to the brim with the typical luxury accoutrements one would expect like the Burmester 3D sound system, a panoramic sunroof, active fragrancing as part of the AIR-BALANCE package and proximity sensing ‘comfort doors’ that automatically opens and closes.
Also featured as standard within the EQS are AIRMATIC air suspension with continuously adjustable damping for added ride refinement, and four-wheel steering that swivels the rear wheels by an extreme 10º for a more nimble and dynamic driving experience. A full suite of active safety and driver aids are to be found within this new big Benz too, with Mercedes’ Drive Pilot autonomous driving to be available for German models come the first half of 2022.
Speaking of dates, the Mercedes EQS is set to go on sale in various international markets like Europe and North America come the autumn of 2021. Prices have yet been officially announced yet, though it is expected to be somewhat similar to the equivalent S-Class that currently stands at $110,000 (RM 450,000) to $130,000 (RM 540,000) before options in North America.
As for whether Mercedes-Benz will officially bring the EQS over to Malaysia, the chances will probably be slim if not non-existent. Seeing though that the Taycan has been doing rather well here, there might be a chance yet however for this all-electric S-Class alternative to make its way here yet.
