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Battery size: 96 - 118kWh
Miles per kWh: 4.44
E-Rating™: A+
Max charge rate: 200 kW
Range: 481 miles
The EQS is Mercedes' first all-out attempt at an electric car that's been designed from the ground-up for battery power, rather than starting with a petrol model and just whipping out the engine and plumbing in batteries.
Measuring 5.21-metres long the EQS is as long as the range-topping S-Class limo. But the EQS's 3.21-metre wheelbase (the area between the wheels when looking at the side of the car) is on par with the S-Class long-wheelbase, and that helps with interior space as those sat in the lavishly roomy back seats of the EQS can really stretch out. Expect to see one these in the glitzy chauffeur car queues...
As of a recent update, the EQS is offered with two batteries including a whopping 118kWh pack, which is good for a WLTP range of 481 miles and makes the Mercedes EQS the longest range electric car on sale in the UK, right now.
Range, battery and charging
Mercedes really has thrown everything it has at the EQS. It gets a massive 118kWh battery which means an official WLTP range of 481 miles – that's almost 62 miles more than a Tesla Model S and a new world record. If you do want that range, you'll have to go for the Mercedes EQS 450+, which gets 355bhp and a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels, but there is a more modest EQS 350 model that 'makes do' with 288bhp, and a smaller 96kWh battery for a WLTP range of up to 409 miles. There is also the Mercedes EQS 53 AMG, which gets the bigger battery, as well as four-wheel drive and more power than you could ever feasibly want or use, but you need to have some serious cash to stretch to it.
Interior, design/styling and technology
Software and tech are two big features of the EQS and this is most obvious with the car's 'hyperscreen'. Mercedes calls it a 'continuous surface made of aluminium silicate glass', but to you and I it's a large infotainment screen that extends practically across the entire dashboard. Its screen is curved at 650-degrees and measures a staggering 1.41 metres, making a Tesla Model S's screen look pretty tiny. It is optional on most trim levels, though, and costs a very hefty £7,995. In fact, it's so huge that sometimes you also have to physically lean forward and stretch to tap some on-screen buttons, and you'll definitely need to give yourself time to get used to how the system works. It can be confusing if you're trying to find a setting in one of the deeper menus, as there are so many features in this infotainment system.
Having said that, it isn't bad to use when you've got use to it, and the sheer wow factor of that enormous screen is definitely a selling point. Naturally, you get nav, as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, intelligent charger search function, and even atmospheric modes that help to relax you by playing gentle background music and accompanying graphics on the screens, while also massaging your stresses away.
Want to try an EQS for yourself? Click here to arrange a test drive.
Practicality and boot space
The EQS may look like a saloon, but it's actually got a big hatchback boot opening that reveals a vast 620-litres of space, so it's an unlikely champion for practicality. Sure, the boot space isn't that deep thanks to that aerodynamic, swooping roofline, but it's a huge boot floor that'll take your long-haul luggage with relative ease.
As for rear passenger space, it doesn't get much better than this. If we're really nit-picking, there are others including the BMW i7 that have slightly more headroom, but the EQS has full limousine-style legroom, not to mention reclining seats, and the option of screens, massage function and more to keep rear occupants happy.
Motors, performance and handling
While the interior is radical, the way the EQS drives is a surprise too. We'd been expecting - maybe even hoping - that this would be an electric car with all the refinement of the S-Class. But after a few miles in the 450, it's clear that the EQS has more sporting ideas. The steering is so sharp and the ride (air suspension as standard) quite firm, so that the EQS almost feels like an overgrown MINI. Combined with the very aggressive acceleration, we assumed at first that we had mistakenly selected some Sport mode - but this is how the EQS behaves in it's 'Comfort' setting.
The EQS does impress with its silence, though Once you have deactivated the artificial spaceship sound or the imitated V8 rumble, you travel in absolute silence. Due to the wind finding so little resistance from the car's slippery body shape, you will almost hear the digital clock ticking rather than nasty wind noises. Only the occasional thump from the 21-inch tyres interrupts.
Mercedes wants to make life easy for the driver so it has fitted the EQS with an intelligent recuperation programme that cleverly educates the driver how to drive without touching the brake pedal. Thanks to some clever sensors as part of the automatic distance control and the electric motors, the traditional mechanic brake is largely superfluous as the EQS can measure and predict when it will need to slow down and can brake automatically.
And while the EQS feels like a huge car for the occupants, it feels small for the driver. The EQS gets rear-wheel steering which can turn the wheels by up to 10-degrees to help with manoeuvring. It means the EQS can slip through city traffic effortlessly and slots into parking spaces easily. It makes a real difference in everyday use and might be out favourite part of the car.
Running costs and pricing
The EQS isn't cheap - let's put that out there, right now. But it is comparable with rivals like the BMW i7 and Porsche Taycan, and it promises to be very efficient in the real world, so you'll be paying far less for electricity to power the EQS than you would for diesel or petrol in a comparable luxury saloon.
It's worth pointing out that the circa £160,000 top price is for the EQS AMG, which is a remarkable thing but we struggle to recommend given the price. A top-end EQS 450+ is under £120,000, which is still a breath-taking amount of money but is far from unusual or unreasonable in this class.
Verdict
With an interpretation of luxury that is more trendy than traditional, and it having the largest battery and longest range on sale in the UK, not to mention the biggest infotainment screen, there's a sense that the EQS is a guiding star for the electric car market. Its WLTP range is quite astonishing, and real-world efficiency is also very decent so you really will see close to 400 miles in real-world use, without trying very hard. It near-enough removes the need to choose diesel or electric.
Yes, there is a lot of competition in the sector, including the Tesla Model S (but only now in left-hand-drive), Porsche Taycan and BMW i7, but the big Mercedes does feel a cut above in some areas. The brand's decision to give a sporty edge seems an odd one though, especially as Mercedes has become synonymous with smooth riding luxury - and many who want to drive themselves and have a bit of fun will go for the smaller Mercedes EQE, anyway.
If Mercedes had focussed more on comfort than cornering ability, the EQS could be head and shoulders above the opposition. That said, it's a remarkable piece of engineering and bodes well for the brand's more affordable models down the line.
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