Mercedes has been talking about its range-topping EQS luxury electric car for a long time; now it's here, it doesn't disappoint. Sitting on a new electric platform, the EQS is nonetheless aligned with the Mercedes S-Class in terms of range positioning, though it takes that car's technology remit and ramps it up even further. The EQS is expected to open for ordering in Ireland in September.
Up to 770km on a charged battery
Although there's a lot more to this car than the headline figures, they do make for interesting reading. The two initial launch models, badged EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4Matic, each get a massive 107.8kWh (net) battery pack, allowing for a WLTP range of up to 770 kilometres. An onboard charger allows AC charging up to 11kW (or 22kW as an option) and DC charging up to 200kW.
The EQS 450+ has an electric motor on the rear axle only, making up to 328hp and 568Nm of torque, for a 0-100km/h time of 6.2 seconds.
Adding another motor to the front axle gives the EQS 580 4Matic four-wheel drive and up to 516hp and 855Nm. That drops the benchmark acceleration time to just 4.3 seconds. The top speed for both models is limited to 210km/h.
Mercedes-EQ also let slip that it's working on an even higher performance model, with up to 750hp.
Automatic for the people
Mercedes was keen for the EQS to be seen as a technology leader as much as it is an electric one, so it's loaded with the latest luxury gadgets. Or rather, it can be. Lots of the high-end equipment is likely to be optional and there's plenty of talk in the SEVENTY-PAGE press release of over-the-air upgrades that buyers can install after they've taken delivery.
All versions come with a modest amount of rear-axle steering, but it's possible to unlock a system with up to 10 degrees of lock, which dramatically reduces the turning circle of the EQS, making it easier to manoeuvre and park. Not that you'll need to worry about such things if you have the fully autonomous parking technology enabled.
Before you get in, you can have the air cleaned as well as the cabin set to your desired temperature, while the 'automatic comfort doors' do away with a need for pesky tip-seeking doormen (door people?). That's right, the doors can open and close at the touch of a button, or even automatically as you approach the car with the key on your person. As the driver, you hop in and, on pressing the brake pedal, the door closes behind you.
Once inside, it's difficult not to be wowed by the dashboard of the EQS. Well, assuming it has the optional MBUX Hyperscreen fitted. That's the slick-looking one-piece digital dashboard you see in our image gallery. There are actually three individual screens behind the seamless glass surface, so the front-seat passenger gets their own display to interact with. In the interests of safety, a camera keeps an eye on the driver and, if it detects that their attention is focused on the passenger's screen, it is dimmed automatically.
As standard, the EQS is fitted with a 12.3-inch driver display and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen in portrait orientation, as on the current Mercedes S-Class. Whichever you go for, there's a wealth of connectivity services and functions to explore.
Luxury car design
The cabin may be festooned with technology, but it appears to be luxurious, too. Mercedes-EQ offers loads of personalisation for the interior and shows incredible attention to detail. For example, within the eight colour combinations you'll find reference to illuminated piping on the seats, along with an upholstery material called Neotex that is said to combine the 'look of nubuck leather and high-tech neoprene.'
We could write many many more words on the fine details of the EQS, but we'll finish with its exterior design. The elongated shape with the cabin noticeably set forward creates space within, sure, but it's also designed to minimise drag as the car moves through the air. To that end, Mercedes-EQ claims that the EQS is the 'most aerodynamic production car in the world' thanks to a coefficient of drag as low as 0.2. For the record, the EQS sits between the regular and long-wheelbase versions of the S-Class in terms of length.
The appearance of the EQS can vary considerably, depending on which boxes you tick on the order form. There are standard, AMG Line and Electric Art exterior styles to choose from, and a Night Package to add to those. Speaking of options, the Digital Light headlight technology is worth a mention. It uses 1.3 million micro-mirrors and video projector tech for a wide variety of safety functions, and to welcome the driver with a snazzy light show of course.