2022 Mercedes EQS debuts with sleek design and 478 miles of range

Following an extensive teaser campaign, the first dedicated electric vehicle from Mercedes is finally here. Meet the EQS, a fullsize luxury sedan the German premium brand says it will play in a league of its own, without any direct rivals. The EQE smaller sedan premiering in September is going to rival the Audi E-Tron GT, Tesla Model S, and Porsche Taycan, while the EQS will sit on top of everything.

The first Mercedes to have six side windows, the 2022 EQS is also the brand’s most aerodynamic production vehicle ever. It has a drag coefficient of only 0.20 and has been developed right from the very beginning as an EV. In its basic form, the zero-emissions luxobarge comes with a rear-mounted electric motor for the EQS 450+ model offering 329 horsepower and 550 Newton-meters (406 pound-feet) of torque.

Step up to the EQS 580 4MATIC and Mercedes will reward you with an extra electric motor, mounted at the front axle. It enables an all-wheel-drive setup with a combined output of 516 hp and a massive 828 Nm (611 lb-ft). The EV punch will be enough for a 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) run in 4.1 seconds. A performance version has already been confirmed and it will likely be badged as an AMG.

In regards to batteries, the engineers have fitted the EQS with a 90-kWh pack for the base model with rear-wheel drive and a larger 107.8-kWh pack for the more expensive AWD-equipped version. You’ll obviously want the bigger one should range be of utmost importance, with Mercedes promising up to 478 miles (770 kilometers) of range per the WLTP cycle.

When the time comes to juice up the battery, it will take only 35 minutes to recharge from 10% to 80% by using DC fast-charging at 110 kW. The same task will be completed in more than 11 hours when using a domestic 240-volt wallbox. Should you be in a hurry, DC fast-charging for 15 minutes will be enough for 186 miles (300 kilometers) of range.

Dressed to impress with a two-tone paint scheme, the EQS has wheels as large as 22 inches and a swoopy coupe-like shape combined with a more practical liftback rear configuration. From the clamshell hood and pop-out electronic door handles to frameless door windows and sleek LED lights, the big sedan has a lot going for it regarding exterior design.

The interior is just as impressive, dominated by an optional Hyperscreen consisting of a 12.3-inch fully digital driver’s display, a 17.7-inch touchscreen for the infotainment, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen on the passenger side of the dashboard. The massive 56-inch-wide curved glass display makes the EQS stand out in terms of luxury car interiors. If you’re not a fan of the screen-heavy setup, the base model gets a smaller 12.8-inch central display shared with the latest S-Class and it loses the extra screen on the passenger side.

Pricing details have not been disclosed, but we’re hearing it will kick off at approximately $110,000 for the rear-wheel-drive model and from roughly $120,000 for the AWD-equipped variant. With all the bells and whistles fitted, the Mercedes EQS could hit the $150,000 mark. Come 2022, an EQS SUV will be added to the lineup and it’s safe to assume it will cost even more.

Source: Mercedes-Benz