Mercedes EQS: limousine for the green CEO? We drove it.

Of the German premium brands, Mercedes is the first to put a fully electric limousine on the market. The EQS is the top model of Mercedes’ electric branch EQ. It also harbors the S in its name, from S-Class or, in German, Sonder Klasse, extraordinary classy, so to say. Does it live up to this ambition?

In contrast to BMW, which will launch an electric version of its new 7 Series, the i7, in 2022, Mercedes has no plans to offer a fully electric S-Class just now. Instead, it developed a different car on a dedicated platform (EVA2).

Plenty of space

A purposeful electric platform plants the wheels in the far corners. This means there’s plenty of room in between. As the EQS also measures an impressive 5,2 m in length, the wheelbase measures 3,2 m, and five passengers can have lots of space in this car, especially with the flat floor.

The only drawback: a fast sloping (coupé) roofline can cause problems in the back for people with a (very) long torso. The load volume of the trunkj is also impressive (610 liters minimum), the more that it is easily accessible through a large hatch. The rear seats can be flipped over to give an impressive cargo area of 1 770 liters.

Smooth and snug

Despite its bulk, the EQS also delivers a record drag coefficient. With a Cx of 0,20, it’s the best of the current car production. This also guarantees a very quiet environment and ride, and the remarkable fact that the EQS is actually more frugal at (moderate) highway speeds than in an urban environment where accelerating a mass of more than 2,5 tons takes its toll.

The eyecatcher in the interior is, without doubt, the Hyperscreen, a curved glass panel reaching from the left to the right of the dashboard, assembling three large screens. One of them is facing the front passenger, but we doubt its usefulness, except catching the eye. It doesn’t give other info than one can have on the vast central screen.

More interesting for the comfort-oriented EQS driver: the Remote Parking Assist allows you to park the car with your smartphone from outside, and Memory Parking Assist memorizes frequently used parking maneuvers so they can be repeated automatically.

A cruiser, not a racer

Although the sporty AMG-version is already in the showroom, the EQS’ most important task is to transport its passengers in the most comfortable manner. Beware, this heavy limousine can be blisteringly quick of the mark, especially when you opt for the twin-engined 580 or AMG version, but that doesn’t mean it’s a sports car.

Don’t be fooled, the EQS also has excellent road behavior and even four-wheel steering as standard, but the accent lies on smoothness and comfort, not on razor-sharp turning or sporty driving on country roads.

The EQS is too big and bulky for this purpose. Nevertheless, we would choose the option of 10° steering input (instead of the standard 4,5°) on the rear wheels, not for sportiness, but it makes maneuvering with this large car a gem. With a turning circle of 10,9 m, this EQS maneuvers tighter than an A-Class.

No hick-ups?

The EQS definitely does what it promises: transporting up to five people in a sphere of luxury and quietness that one must look for in a Rolls-Royce otherwise. But the sloping roof makes the sight to the rear awkward (it’s like peeking through a letter-box), and the pedal feel of the brakes is too artificial to our liking.

We drove a brand new EQS 450+ (one motor, rear-wheel drive), and we found it challenging to consume less than 25 kWh/100 km. We don’t know if this was due to the many short trips or the winter conditions, but we were far from the promised WLTP figures and the extensive range (+ 700 km) that goes with it. 450 km was the best our car could promise, despite the 108 kWh of useable energy in the battery pack.

Last but not least, a price tag of at least €120 000, to be upped quickly with a lot of interesting but pricy options, is rather severe and somewhat higher than accordingly equipped and (ICE)-powered S-Classes. So, not a car for everyone, but the climate-conscious CEO or governmental official could very well cope with it.