The EQS450 Plus has a single electrical motor on the rear axle that places out 329 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque and, like most different EVs, it has a single-speed transmission. With a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 5.9 seconds the EQS450 would not have the gut-punch acceleration of a Porsche Taycan or perhaps a Polestar 2, however its surge of prompt torque is satisfying and befit of a luxurious automobile. There are additionally two totally different ‘soundscapes’ that pipe in noises via the audio system; they do not attempt to mimic inside combustion engines, as an alternative going for sounds that remind me of spaceships within the Jetsons.Acceleration is not actually the purpose of the EQS anyway — although for those who actually do want extra efficiency Mercedes presents the dual-motor EQS580 with 516 hp or the upcoming 751-hp AMG model. The EQS450 is not a nook carver, both, although its customary 10-degree rear-wheel steering does make the automobile really feel extra nimble than its dimension and heft would counsel. No, the place the EQS450 actually shines is in its serenity and luxury.Every EQS has an adjustable air suspension with adaptive dampers that present an exceptionally easy experience, helped by the thicker sidewall of the tires wrapping my take a look at automobile’s 20-inch wheels. (Those wheels, by the best way, have an aero-optimized design with dozens of little Mercedes stars on them. They’re superior.) The Sport drive mode barely stiffens up the suspension and the EQS soaks up all method of highway imperfections. It’s additionally supremely quiet, with solely a tiny little bit of wind and tire noise getting into the cabin because of glass that is insulated towards warmth, noise and infrared mild. On an extended highway journey alongside the California coast It feels precisely like an S-Class ought to.If there’s one draw back to the EQS’ driving expertise it is the brakes. The EQS has three ranges of regenerative braking, the strongest of which is not a legit one-pedal mode, although it is nonetheless robust sufficient to deliver the automobile to a full cease in some conditions — so long as you flip off the automobile’s creep mode. With the regen on excessive it is easy to modulate the throttle to decelerate, however the issue lies with the brake pedal itself. Under regen the pedal bodily strikes as if the driving force utilized stress with their foot, so once I want to really hit the brakes the pedal is not at all times the place I feel it needs to be. It’s very unsettling and exhausting to get used to.Both variations of the EQS use a 107.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack, with the Plus within the EQS450’s identify implying that we might see a smaller battery dimension supplied sooner or later. The EPA estimates a 350-mile vary for the EQS450, far off from Mercedes’ preliminary estimates, but it surely’s a distinct story in the actual world. With a 70% cost the EQS exhibits an estimated 320 miles of vary left and even at a 20% cost it nonetheless exhibits a variety of practically 100 miles. Getting 400 miles out of a full battery needs to be a cinch even with out hypermiling.
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Its hatchback rear finish gives tons of house however cuts into rear headroom. Daniel Golson/RoadshowI do not assume the EQS’ vary issues in any respect, although — not when its charging capabilities are so good. Mercedes says the EQS450 can cost from 10% to 80% on a 110-kW DC quick charger in 31 minutes, whereas plugging right into a 240-volt wall charger takes a bit beneath 12 hours to go from 10% to full. But the EQS can settle for as a lot as 200 kilowatts of charging, with Mercedes claiming it could actually acquire 186 miles of vary in solely 15 minutes. Plugged right into a 150-kW quick charger I acquired the EQS from 13% to 60% in 20 minutes, including 208 miles of vary. At that time, who cares concerning the full vary estimate?A giant motive the EQS has such an extended vary is its tremendous slippery cab-forward physique, which has the bottom drag coefficient of any manufacturing automobile. It appears I’m one of many few those that genuinely loves how the EQS seems to be; I’m into the blobby and easy styling, and it has some actually cool particulars just like the star-pattern ‘grille’ and helix-shaped LED taillights. White is not precisely one of the best shade for the EQS and with out the AMG Line look bundle the air intakes on the entrance finish give it a fishy mouth, however I’m into it total. The EQS jogs my memory of idea automobiles from the 1990s in one of the simplest ways.Unlike the S-Class or opponents just like the Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, the EQS has a big powered hatch on the rear as an alternative of a conventional trunk. Cargo house is totally huge and the rear seats fold practically flat, although there is a little bit of a bump the place the seats meet the trunk. One draw back of the hatch and the EQS’ customary panoramic sunroof is how a lot they reduce into rear headroom. The EQS’ again seat has a great quantity of legroom and the flat flooring is a boon, however taller passengers might discover themselves hitting their heads towards the headliner — one thing that would not occur in an S-Class. Powered rear seats with heating, air flow and plush headrests can be found, no less than.
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The Hyperscreen setup is phenomenal. Daniel Golson/RoadshowThe EQS450’s customary dashboard setup is just like that of the brand new S-Class, with an expansive trim panel spanning the width of the cabin, a 12.8-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Setting the EQS’ cabin design other than the S-Class is a wing form to the dashboard encompass, superior turbine-style air vents on the corners, slim vents working throughout the highest, a ton of open house beneath the middle console and distinctive door panel designs. I feel the EQS’ cabin seems to be finest in a light-weight shade, although my take a look at automobile’s Sable Brown leather-based accents and $1,515 “yacht-design” matte wooden trim spice it up a bit of.This take a look at automobile has Mercedes’ vaunted Hyperscreen, which is customary on the EQS580 however a $7,230 choice on the EQS450. It replaces your entire dashboard with a large 56-inch Gorilla Glass panel that homes three separate shows: a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, a 17.7-inch central OLED touchscreen and a 12.3-inch OLED touchscreen in entrance of the passenger. If the sunshine hits the glass good there is a little bit of glare and the gaps between the screens are seen, however in any other case it seems to be fairly seamless. The Hyperscreen is without doubt one of the EQS’ standout options and it is actually a marvel.The MBUX working system’s zero-layer design means it doesn’t matter what menu, app or setting you open, the principle residence display is only one faucet away and the local weather controls are at all times in a bar on the base of the display. The huge navigation map acts as the house display itself, with a lot of floating widgets showing within the corners relying on what you may have turned on, like music or the seat massagers. Mercedes’ augmented-reality nav function is implausible on the Hyperscreen, because the front-camera show is ready to be proven alongside the top-down map with instructions. Another bonus of the middle display is the largest show for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto I’ve ever seen, each of which have wi-fi connectivity, as properly.
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Its zero-layer design means the nav display is at all times seen. Daniel Golson/RoadshowA ton of options are managed via the Hyperscreen, however I discover that it is easy and fast to navigate when you get acclimated to the system. Plus, it has a configurable favorites menu that may home all method of capabilities. The “Hey, Mercedes” voice assistant is lastly value utilizing frequently, too. It can acknowledge a number of voices and is aware of the place you are sitting, so if the entrance passenger says “turn my massage on” the automobile will swap it on for simply that seat.The passenger display can do loads, too. It makes use of eye-tracking cameras to forestall the driving force from with the ability to use it, even dimming the display when it spots you wanting. Passengers can see driving information, play their very own music via headphones, alter the local weather controls, set navigation routes and ship them to the middle display and even play video games like Tetris. The show will also be turned off fully or set to a lot of screensavers, one in every of which has an animated star motif together with three that function the Vision AVTR idea. With the screens at max brightness and the ambient lighting at its most loopy settings I do not discover the EQS’ shows to be overwhelming even at night time, although for individuals who do not desire a Berlin nightclub aesthetic all the things may be dimmed or turned off fully.As you’d count on from an S-Class-equaling automobile, the EQS would not skimp on options. My take a look at automobile is the ‘base’ Premium trim, which begins at $103,360 together with a $1,050 vacation spot cost — that means the EQS450 is $7,490 cheaper than a base S500, although the S comes with all-wheel drive and some extra customary options. The EQS450 Premium features a Burmester 3D sound system, 64-color ambient lighting, heated and ventilated entrance seats, parking help with a 360-degree digicam, six USB-C ports, a fingerprint recognition system and a full suite of driver-assist options that features adaptive cruise management with steering help and cease and go, computerized lane modifications, lane-keeping help and much more. And talking of the auto lane modifications, while you activate that function at night time the EQS’ LED headlights undertaking a beam of sunshine onto the highway that signifies the place the automobile will likely be merging and going. It’s Mercedes’ first actual implementation of its wild headlight projection tech within the US, and it’s totally cool.
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Honestly I feel that is stress-free. Daniel Golson/RoadshowAdded onto my EQS450 are $1,100 massaging entrance seats (included within the midrange Exclusive trim), $450 rapid-heating entrance seats, fabulous $590 energetic ambient lights, the $450 HEPA air filter, a $250 110-volt cost cable and the $350 MBUX inside assistant that makes use of movement sensors to activate lights or deliver up advisable display capabilities. There are solely a pair options supplied on the S-Class which are unavailable on the EQS, primarily to maintain no less than a couple of causes for consumers to be glad they went with the standard flagship alternative. You cannot get the S-Class’ superior 3D gauge cluster, even for those who do with out the Hyperscreen, and the EQS additionally cannot be had with the unbelievable Burmester 4D stereo setup.All in my EQS450 comes out to $115,245, undercutting the bottom EQS580 by $5,365 and the S580 by $2,105. And a totally loaded EQS450 is available in at round $130,000, which to me feels greater than value it. The EQS450 is serene, cosseting and tech-rich with out being overwhelming. It has mega vary and charging capabilities, and serves as a terrific ambassador for Mercedes’ electrical efforts. Most importantly, it seems like the longer term. I’d have the EQS over an S-Class day-after-day.