Mercedes

EQS

The Mercedes EQS is a fully electrified executive saloon car that is dynamically styled and packed with technology. There are a number of trims to choose from and an SUV version is imminent too.

The good

Design, on-board technology, performance and driving range

The bad

Price - ouch!

Tech Specs

Price from

£102,160

Combined Fuel up to

Driving range of up to 453 miles

0-62 from

6.2 seconds

max speed up to

130mph

co2 from

0g/km

Test Drive

Mercedes EQS 450+ AMG Line Premium Plus (2022)

Mercedes has launched its first all-electric luxury saloon and it boasts a driving range of up to 450 miles between charges.

It is called the EQS – with the EQ referring to the side of the Mercedes business that deals with all things electric – and it costs from £102,160.

The four-door executive saloon is available in trim levels called AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus, Luxury and Exclusive Luxury, and customers can fully personalise their car with a number of optional packs – for a fee of course.

The EQS has real road presence with its dynamically-designed profile featuring AMG body styling, soft close doors with handles that are flush to the bodywork, a panoramic roof, digital lights with a light band, a blacked out front grille housing the Mercedes badge, acoustic privacy glass and stunning 21-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.

The interior is pure class throughout and our model also included the optional MBUX Hyperscreen with multiple displays that merge seamlessly behind one piece of curved glass to create a single screen stretching 141cms in length. This adds £7,995 to the cost, but looks like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie.

Soft Nappa leather upholstery, ambient lighting, wooden inlays, jet-engine styled air vents, plus powered, heated and ventilated seats complete the look.

And there is a wealth of tech at your disposal too, such as a pitch perfect Burmester surround sound system, full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay with wireless charging, a fingerprint scanner, sat nav and the ‘Hey Mercedes’ personal assistant that can assist with changing the radio stations, opening the sunroof, calling a contact in your phonebook, plotting sat nav directions, adjusting the climate control and lots more besides.

We tested the range-topping EQS 450+ AMG Line Premium Plus model costing £116,160. With its 107.8kWh lithium-ion high voltage battery and 333hp on tap, this rear wheel-drive powerhouse can reach 62mph from a standing start in a hot-hatch matching time of just 6.2 seconds and maxes out at 130mph.

Despite weighing in at almost 2.5 tonnes, the EQS is delightfully agile with perfect poise and balance through twisting bends. The power on tap is seemingly endless as it accelerates via the single-speed automatic transmission and the road holding is ultra-confident.

Dynamic Select settings called Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual alter the responses and characteristics of the car with Comfort being the default setting each time the vehicle is started.

All but the AMG Line model gain a 10-degree rear axle steering function for added agility and the steering is perfectly weighted with plenty of driver feedback.

Paddles on the steering wheel are to alter the levels of regenerative braking to help boost the battery levels on the fly, and in its highest setting, the braking is quite sharp when you take your foot off the accelerator.

This is a car that seems to take anything and everything in its stride whether faced with sharp hill climbs, cruising at 70mph or tackling busier congestion. But be warned, even with all the assisted parking systems, you will still need a large parking space as the EQS stretches 5.2 metres in length.

The cabin is beautifully soundproofed with barely a noise filtering through, even at higher speeds, and the highly-effective suspension system does an excellent job of smoothing out the rough road surfaces. It feels like the EQS is actually gliding at times.

Our EQS AMG Line Premium Plus car had a WLTP-tested driving range of 439 miles, while the entry-level car has a rating of 453 miles. The EQS Exclusive Luxury model drops slightly to 407 miles. And there are options when it comes to charging the car too. It takes approximately 15 hours and 30 minutes via a domestic wallbox to fully charge the vehicle or 31 minutes via a public rapid charge point to boost from a 10-80 per cent.

There is bundles of room up front to stretch out and back seat passengers benefit from ample leg room too, plus heated outer rear seats for added comfort. The boot can hold 610 litres of goodies, increasing to a generous 1,770 litres with the split-folding rear seats dropped flat. Elsewhere there is a large storage compartment beneath the centre console, front and rear cup holders, trays, a glovebox and a central cubby bin to store bits and pieces safely.

When it comes to safety the EQS is comprehensively equipped with all the latest systems and driver aids. It recently secured a maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating and features the likes of digital headlights that work similarly to a projector with in excess of one million pixels per headlight that respond with brilliant lighting to changing traffic, weather and road conditions.

There is active blind spot assist, active distance assist, evasive steering assist, active speed limit assist, emergency stop assist, active brake assist with cross-traffic function, a congestion emergency braking function, along with a Pre-Safe Plus and Impulse Side with body-raising function.

All in all, this flagship EV from Mercedes is perfect proof that the future of electric motoring is very bright. It may be expensive, but the driving dynamics, driving range and driving enjoyment are all still present in spades.