Mercedes-AMG raises the bar for electric excellence

As for its appearance, it’s surprising how small it looks with no other vehicles in sight. The EQS’s rounded body shape – aerodynamically sculpted at the front to increase reach – visually reduces it. However, in a standard parking lot, its enormous size is quite obvious.

Polarizing style. For those who hate it, there is bad news to come: its shape will be replicated in the smaller Benz EV sedan. Personally, I find it attractive and distinctive, except for the rear view, which is a bit bland. By the way, there is a hole in the tail, and a large rear trunk area. However, the nose is stuffed with cooling and electrical components, and remains closed except during servicing.

It is very fast and has five driving modes, selectable on the fly via buttons mounted on the steering wheel.

The spacious interior is spaceship-like, not club-like (no wood panels for starters), with a large 1.4-meter wide panel on the dashboard, joined by three separate OLED touchscreens behind a single sheet of glass. This screen combo is impressive in both looks and work. The quality of the cockpit material is excellent, the solidity as well. And there’s a bit of theater: even the pipe in the face of the chair is lit.

As the acceleration numbers listed above explain, this is a very fast machine with instant power from any speed because of that monstrous torque available from rest.

The era of wood panels has given way completely to the high-tech OLED display bank in the AMG EQS53.

Road manners can make you forget that it is a 5.2 meter long limousine weighing 2655 kg. Obviously, there’s a plethora of smart software but the hardware – air springs, adaptive all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering – play a big part in this vehicle’s surprising agility (all things considered). The front folds tightly during fast cornering, without a feeling of understeer.

The cabin is quiet, unless you want it otherwise.

The low center of gravity, with the massive low battery, helps it flatten corners, while the adaptive air suspension works really hard to ensure that the big wheels (21 as standard, 22 optional) don’t compromise ride quality too much.

The rear motor does the job during normal driving. As you pick up speed, the fronts blend in seamlessly. However, when things get really challenging, the system can almost instantly send 100 per torque forward or backward.

When you look at the car from the outside, the rear steering angle is extreme, at least at slow speeds. This provides a very small turning circle and makes maneuvering easy (further aided by all cameras and sensors). At high speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels to aid stability, especially with rapid and repeated changes in direction.

The cabin is quiet, unless you want it otherwise. You can have an artificially generated soundscape (actually option two) that increases with the speed of the walk. It’s quite fun, although it can be moderated or omitted if desired. Alternatively, it can be made audible outside the car, or inside, or both. What you don’t get, however, is the traditional AMG snap, crackle and pop on the trailing throttle.

The EQS53 is described as the first all-electric AMG. At its launch, Benz executives seemed very defensive about it being a “real” AMG, insisting it was more than just a body kit, Panamerica-style grille and fancy wheels. It’s certainly AMG-fast in a straight line, though you don’t get a handcrafted engine, which is personally signed by the individual technician who installed it, as you would a petrol AMG anywhere near this price point. And the AMG splitter and spoiler raise the industry-leading EQS standard 0.20 drag coefficient to 0.23.

Remember, there’s always something odd about taking the biggest and most luxurious Benz and giving them the AMG treatment. They end up not being as fast as the smaller and nimble Benz, or as comfortable as a limousine a buyer might want, but the more expensive of the two. Then again, the formula works, so it’s not going to change anytime soon.

The EQS has five driving modes, which can be quickly selected via buttons mounted on the steering wheel. Energy recovery during braking is also adjustable, enabling single-pedal riding. The feel of the brake pedal is one minor disappointment. It’s not terrible, but it does give the impression of a progressive and even petrol AMG. This is almost certainly related to balancing regenerative braking via the electric motor with conventional braking via large cast iron rotors (optional ceramic discs).

The EQS is CO₂ neutral during the production phase, says Benz. Its 400 volt battery can be charged up to 200 kW, adding 300 km in 19 minutes under ideal conditions. There is usually a five year warranty for the car, with 10 years and 250,000 km for the battery pack.

Yes, it’s expensive and may be a rare sight on our roads, but as an example of what’s possible in an EV, the EQS is a milestone.

MERCEDES-AMG EQS53
Price $328,400 (excluding on-road fees); $338,780 when tested
Machine Two synchronous electric motors with 108 kWh battery (clean)
Power/torque 560 kW/1020 Nm (as tested, see text)
Consumption 23 kWh/100 km/h (ADR combined test cycle)
Reach 587 km (ADR combined test cycle)
CO₂ Zero local emission

#MercedesAMG #raises #bar #electric #excellence