Mercedes-Benz EQS

Introduction

The limousine people has agelong been thing of a technological vanguard for the automotive industry, and successful 1 respect successful peculiar – erstwhile it comes to the proviso of outright electrical scope successful EVs - it’s preserving that status.

Some of the competitors of the updated Mercedes-Benz EQS – the taxable of this roadworthy trial – truly are pushing the envelope erstwhile it comes to squeezing mileage into a large four-door saloon. The UK marketplace whitethorn inactive beryllium waiting for right-hand-drive versions of them, but for the past 2 years the Lucid Air has been offering North American buyers a scope successful excess of 500 miles, portion China’s Nio ET7, with its 150kWh semi-solid-state battery, has go the archetypal electrical accumulation car to beryllium certified for much than 1000km (621 miles) of scope connected a azygous charge.

So there’s unit connected the likes of the EQS to support up. Introduced successful 2021, this was Stuttgart’s memorable bid to respond to the Tesla Model S and successfully electrify overmuch of its S-Class lawsuit base. It has frankincense acold failed to bash that, consistently being outsold by its much accepted sibling, with planetary request for some cars slackening acold capable for their shared accumulation enactment astatine Sindelfingen to dial down output from 2 shifts a time to lone one.

Stand by to find retired conscionable however Mercedes has sought to boost this electrical saloon’s fortunes by bolstering its powerfulness reserves.

Design & styling

The main improvement to the EQS for the 2025 exemplary twelvemonth concerns artillery capacity. Where antecedently determination was lone one, determination are present 2 nickel-manganese-cobalt packs offered: the larger 1 extending to 118kWh of usable capacity, and the smaller 1 offering 96kWh and being fitted exclusively to the entry-level 350 model.

For the bigger battery, that’s a hike of a small nether 10% compared with what the car was launched with and raises its WLTP combined scope to arsenic precocious arsenic 481 miles, depending connected the exemplary and optional equipment. Estimated by the North American EPA trial rhythm to beryllium worthy lone 390 miles, however, that won’t beryllium capable to interest the likes of Lucid excessively much, but it’s advancement each the aforesaid – and astir arsenic overmuch arsenic immoderate EV shaper is apt to achieve at a mid-life facelift.

We opted to trial an upper-trim Business Class mentation of the EQS 450+, which is simply a single-motor EV driven by a 356bhp, imperishable magnet synchronous centrifugal mounted adjacent to the rear axle. It’s somewhat much almighty than the equivalent motorboat exemplary but inactive little potent than cardinal competitors adjacent successful single-motor form. The Business Class trim adds 22in alloy wheels to the car, whose rolling absorption knocks the claimed scope down a little, to 446 miles.

Like Mercedes’ different bigger EVs, the EQS sits connected the firm’s EVA platform, and gets adaptive aerial suspension underneath beforehand double-wishbone and rear multi-link axles. Four-wheel steering features arsenic modular connected each EQS derivatives, but connected our trial car its rear-wheel manipulation is up to 10deg – 2 oregon 3 times what akin systems from different manufacturers offer.

Our trial car weighed 2608kg connected the proving crushed scales: somewhat nether Mercedes’ authoritative assertion for it, but inactive apt to person astatine slightest arsenic important an interaction connected its existent scope and ratio arsenic the EQS’s much-touted 0.20 resistance coefficient.

Interior

There was plentifulness astir the plan of the EQS that, erstwhile the car archetypal came on successful 2021, made it look similar a tellingly nonstop riposte to the Tesla Model S – an EV that had been eating into S-Class sales in the US for respective years.

But thing did much truthful than Mercedes’ Hyperscreen infotainment system, which made it look arsenic if the car’s full fascia had been replaced by 1 gigantic touchscreen. Four years ago, of course, this was an optional feature, whereas present each EQS gets this strategy arsenic standard. And, while you tin alteration the brightness of the 3 show screens of which it is comprised, oregon crook astatine slightest 2 of them disconnected entirely, its glare is surely sizeable erstwhile each are lit – and past exacerbated by that of the cabin’s ambient airy features, which tin pulse and glow successful antithetic colours when the close mounting is selected.

It’s much than capable to people this car out, for amended oregon worse and successful afloat unapologetic terms, arsenic a limousine for the integer age: a jilted lover’s letter, clearly, to each those Mercedes S-Class exiles moving a Model S. The remainder of the EQS’s compartment layout is much traditional, however, with a default four-seater rider configuration and a large armrest console betwixt the rear passengers that houses a removable tablet-style touchscreen distant for the car’s main multimedia strategy and tin beryllium folded distant to create an further 3rd backmost seat.

In the front, the driving presumption offers plentifulness of limb and elbow room, though it’s tighter astir your head, particularly erstwhile getting in. The beforehand spot and superior power layout are some precise good, however; the erstwhile having abundant accommodation imaginable and each the expected heating and massage options.

In the back, Mercedes’ optional Rear Seat Comfort Plus bundle matches the comfortableness level of the beforehand seats. The reclining rear spot connected the rider side, which has a spot cushion that extends by 50mm and a floor-mounted footrest, isn’t rather a ‘sleeping seat’ but would look to connection astatine slightest immoderate usage for long-distance lounging. Unfortunately, Mercedes didn’t acceptable that enactment to our trial car, whose backmost seats were surely spacious, luxurious and comfy but didn’t lucifer the BMW i7 we tested successful 2023 for first-class transatlantic rider comfortableness (Mercedes does connection thing comparable connected its Maybach S-Class and GLS, and connected the Maybach EQS SUV, it claims).

Boot space, however, is amazingly bully – with a liftback-style hatchback rear extremity granting precise casual entree to a peculiarly agelong loading measurement successful excess of 600 litres. If you were to undertake a agelong touring travel with plentifulness of luggage, the EQS would certainly be good prepared successful that respect.

Multimedia - 4.5 stars

As imposing arsenic it is, the EQS’s Hyperscreen multimedia strategy isn’t hard to get connected with. You tin usage the ‘D-pad’ controller connected the left-hand spoke of the steering instrumentality arsenic a cursor controller to navigate it if you similar that to nonstop touchscreen input; determination are carnal paper shortcuts adjacent to your near hand, to leap betwixt important paper screens (ADAS, charging, parking cameras etc); and Mercedes provides an fantabulous top-level ‘zero layer’ navigation that’s lone ever 1 interaction away.

That the car’s ventilation controls are screen-based is simply a small irksome, but they are permanently displayed, accessible and not fiddly. There’s besides a imperishable toggle fastener to crook disconnected the velocity alarm. The navigation strategy is casual to program, via your dependable oregon fingertip input, and besides casual to follow, with bully enactment to find charging stations.

In the backmost row, meanwhile, our trial car came with the MBUX rear-seat amusement system, which grafts connected a brace of 11.6in displays to the beforehand seatbacks, arsenic good arsenic wireless headphones. Between these and the removable tablet remote, you tin presume bid of the car’s main multimedia strategy from the backmost row, oregon prime and watercourse your ain amusement online, with options for HDMI input from outer devices arsenic well.

Engines & performance

As the middle-rung mentation of 3 EQS derivatives, with a dual-motor Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 mentation supra it, the EQS 450+ has a well-judged show level. It’s not rather speedy capable to consciousness similar it’s funny successful playing to a sporting crowd, but it nevertheless meets a limousine’s emblematic dynamic little with a spot successful hand. And its drivability is not lone bully but has improved implicit the past 4 years.

Our trial car had chilly but adust trial conditions. It addresses the roadworthy successful a controlled, comfy mode adjacent nether afloat power, gathering up to afloat torque astatine slightest a small gradually from rest, and not adjacent flirting with wheelspin. You tin spot that successful our show numbers, with 0-60mph taking astir a 2nd longer than 30-70mph oregon 50-80mph (modern EVs often amusement singular nonstop proportionality successful these show numbers).

Out connected the road, however, the car motivates its wide precise assuredly, and has the powerfulness successful reserve you would expect of an costly luxury option, whether for overtaking, climbing oregon conscionable hurrying on erstwhile called to.

Mercedes provides paddle-shift power of regenerative braking, and this isn’t linked to the selected thrust mode, truthful the mounting is ever however you similar it and arsenic you near it. It works nicely some arsenic an other way towards operator engagement and to reassure you that you’re driving arsenic efficiently arsenic possible, alternatively than wasting vigor successful unnecessary regen and acceleration, erstwhile scope whitethorn beryllium limited.

We were besides impressed with the car’s artillery absorption – peculiarly that it showed small show deterioration astatine debased complaint and didn’t wilt successful intensive moving – and with its brake pedal feel, which gave a clear, tactile content of the handover betwixt regenerative and friction braking.

Assisted driving - 3.5 stars

All EQS models get Mercedes’ Driving Assistance Package Plus arsenic standard, which gives them the afloat suite of progressive lane keeping, steering assistance and velocity monitoring systems. As portion of a diagnostic caller for the European market, it tin present besides usage its assorted forwards- and rearwards-facing cameras to automatically overtake slower-moving vehicles connected multi-lane highways, assuming it’s harmless to bash so, though this isn’t yet enabled for UK cars for ineligible reasons.

The assistance systems are elemental to alteration and disable via an easy accessed shortcut menu. The AEB strategy is good tuned and unintrusive astir town, though it tin beryllium over-sensitive erstwhile manoeuvring. It intervened unnecessarily connected 2 occasions erstwhile reversing, slamming connected the brakes alternatively unpleasantly.

Ride & handling

The EQS is surely a large saloon car and yet, overmuch of the time, astatine debased speeds especially, it truly doesn’t grip similar one. That’s however the interaction of its unusually bold four-wheel steering strategy is felt, which successful an nonsubjective consciousness surely makes for remarkably wieldy manoeuvrability for specified a large car and abbreviated enactment so of getting successful and retired of parking spaces and executing three-point turns.

The system’s subjective entreaty is simply a small much complex. There is surely immoderate artificiality successful the mode the chassis’ responsiveness picks up astatine precise debased speeds. When you propulsion retired of a junction connected afloat lock, oregon expanse into a driveway, the mode the rear axle tin abruptly look to pivot astir down you tin enactment you successful caput of buying trolley handling a small excessively clearly.

But it’s a short-lived phenomenon, due to the fact that astatine greater velocity there’s surely nary undermining this car’s handling information oregon high-speed stability. It continues to steer done a light, filtered steering rack, which has conscionable capable heft to suit its pacy directness off-centre.

The car is reasonably softly sprung, arsenic you would expect of a limousine, and portion it maintains bully lateral assemblage power erstwhile cornering, it tin statesman to tally abbreviated of power of transportation and heave adjacent the nationalist velocity bounds connected state roads. Here, Sport mode amended supports the car’s sizeable bulk than Comfort, and makes it much composed and steady, and though it means sacrificing a small thrust isolation, amended vertical assemblage control can besides marque for better overall thrust comfortableness here.

Comfort and isolation - 4 stars

Our EQS 450+ trial car had truly awesome thrust isolation connected amended surfaces. In this respect, the car feels similar it has been refined and improved rather a batch since its instauration 4 years ago. Even connected 22in wheels, it kept a commendably quiescent compartment (58dBA astatine a 50mph cruise, compared with 60dBA for the BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport and 61dBA for the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid).

That hushed consciousness of region from the roadworthy aboveground underneath you isn’t rather ever-present, however. While they’re little commonly occurring than successful those aboriginal cars we drove respective years ago, occasional thumps and jitters from the axles bash inactive suggest the secondary thrust isn’t arsenic perfectly controlled and resolved arsenic it mightiness be, and the quicker you go, the much communal these incidences get.

Smaller wheels mightiness assistance mitigate the improvement and soften the ride, arsenic improbable arsenic modern Mercedes buyers whitethorn be to opt for them. But portion Sport mode does evidently ramp up damping rates and amended controls instrumentality movements, neither it nor Comfort tin rather present the world-class out-of-town ride you would anticipation for here.

MPG & moving costs

The EQS scope present opens with an introduction terms conscionable nether £100,000, and extends to the acold broadside of £200k for a range-topping Maybach 680 model. And that’s broadly successful enactment with what BMW charges for an i7.

With the summation of the 350 entry-level exemplary and the betterment successful modular instrumentality crossed the range, moreover, Mercedes tin justifiably accidental it has made the car amended worth than it was primitively – making it little prone to being undercut by emerging electrical car brands and without, rather clearly, taking an axe to prices anywhere.

Having a 400V electrical architecture, the EQS besides remains a small susceptible to onslaught from those brands connected rapid-charging speed. It deed a weighted mean charging velocity of 135kW, which puts it lone conscionable wrong the apical 15 results we person recorded since 2022. It’s not an atrocious outcome: but a sub-£50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 charges quicker, which could be a occupation for Mercedes.

A reasonably creditable UK motorway touring ratio of 2.6mpkWh (this is simply a large car, remember) makes for conscionable implicit 300 miles of long-distance scope – amended than our BMW i7 xDrive 60 M Sport trial car managed successful 2023, though not by a immense margin. Perhaps not the benignant of scope that’s apt to springiness Mercedes excessively galore bragging rights, either.

Verdict

Mercedes’ efforts to accelerate the EQS towards greater commercialized occurrence successful aboriginal beingness person surely had a affirmative effect connected the car. There are present moments of existent accomplishment astir its refinement and manoeuvrability, and the authoritative show and fantabulous drivability you would expect of a luxury car. It is besides present susceptible of much than 300 motorway miles on a charge, adjacent successful wintry conditions.

However, inactive higher levels of comfort, and overmuch bigger strides successful presumption of ratio and real-world range, are needed to conjure the aura of effortless superiority you would subordinate with ‘an electrical S-Class’. The technological razzmatazz of a 21st-century luxury icon surely isn’t successful abbreviated supply. But the matching gravitas, substance and existent sophistication stay somewhat elusive.

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