FIRST DRIVES NEW CARS TESTED AND RATED

All-new electric equivalent to the S-Class flagship is the first car that Mercedes has developed as an EV from scratch

TESTED 6.7.21, SWITZERLAND AND AUSTRIA ON SALE SEPTEMBER PRICE £100,000 (EST)

When Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius unveiled the EQS back in April, he described it as a “defining moment” for the world’s oldest car maker. Such statements are often heard in the car industry nowadays. In this case, though, it’s hard to argue against.

Unlike the EQC, EQV, EQA and EQB that arrived before it, the EQS isn’t derived from an existing ICE-powered model, instead having Mercedes’ first dedicated EV platform to host a new high-density battery pack that promises a range of up to 485 miles and one of the most advanced interiors you will find in any car.

The luxury liftback-style saloon has been conceived to provide buyers with an electric alternative to the traditionally powered S-Class.

Positioned at the top of a growing list of electric Mercedes, it acts as a technological showcase for the brand, featuring a number of innovations that we can also expect to see on the EQE saloon, EQS SUV and EQE SUV, which are all due by the end of 2023.

Tellingly, Mercedes doesn’t see the EQS as a rival to the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S and Nio ET7. Instead, it points to the forthcoming Audi ‘Landjet’, BMW i7 and Lucid Air.

For the time being, though, the EQS’s stiffest competition will come from plug-in hybrid versions of traditional luxury limousines, such as the Audi A8 60 TFSIe, the BMW 745e and Mercedes’ own S580e.

Aesthetically, the EQS departs quite radically from traditional Mercedes models, with a design theme and cab-forward profile similar to that previewed by the EQS Vision concept back in 2019.

Distinguishing exterior elements include a black panel in place of a front grille and angular headlights that are linked by a slim light bar.

Further back is a heavily raked windscreen and what Mercedes calls a ‘one-bow’ roofline, which stretches back into a steeply angled tailgate.