Mercedes EQS gets overhaul - and 575-mile range

Entirely new electric architecture, the MB Operating System and steer by wire (with a yolk) for flagship EV

While not an exact science, the success of a car can usually be judged by the extent of the update. Because if all’s going well, then not much needs to be altered. Or if not, then a more substantial refresh is needed. The notion has been complicated a tad by just how fast EVs evolve - every facelift seems like a big one right now - but, even by those standards, the changes implemented for the latest Mercedes EQS look significant. Launched back in 2021 as nothing less than a battery-powered S-Class, this latest model is said to feature ‘more than a quarter’ of parts that are ‘newly-developed, updated and refined.’ This is no mere tweak; like many an electric car rushed to market early in this decade, there’s a suspicion this is probably the EQS as it always should have been.

So don’t be deceived by a broadly familiar design which, thanks to a new light and grille treatment, manages to look even stranger than before. It’s underneath where the real upgrades are to be found, the EQS now driven by an all-new, 800-volt electric architecture, new drive units, revised cell chemistry to mean more kWh in the same dimensions, and greater recuperation power. The headline stats are 350kW of charging on the big battery, big power models - EQS 450+, EQS 500 and EQS 580 are supplied by a new 122kWh lump - with a new EQS 400 boasting a 112kWh battery and 270kW capability. It’s the model Mercedes has introduced as a way of making it ‘more affordable to enter the EQS world’. Perhaps another admission that launching an EV saloon at £100,000 and up didn’t chime with customers how it might have. As well as super duper DC charging (200 miles in 10 minutes, all being well), the EQS can now supply energy back to the grid or to your home as required.

In terms of outright range, Mercedes claims that the class champion - the EQS 450+ - is now able to go 13 per cent further than before, with a WLTP max of 926km, or 575 miles. Take that, BMW i3. The famously low drag co-efficient of the EQS (just 0.20Cd) will help that impressive figure, and laurels haven’t been rested on there either: Merc’s aerodynamicists ‘have optimised the exterior mirrors, among other things, to improve airflow even further’.

Additionally introduced underneath is the option of steer-by-wire, which Mercedes claims is a first in series production for a German manufacturer. As well as adding a yolk to show off to your friends, it will make manoeuvring easier (especially with rear steer as well) and presumably ensure the inputs of assisted driving are more precise. Even the ‘undesired vibrations caused by uneven road surfaces’ - and we all know plenty about that - can be filtered out. Plus a yolk makes it easier to get in and out of an EQS, says Merc. But a conventional electromechanical steering system with a regular wheel remains available, if steer-by-wire still sounds a bit too much like science fiction.

Apparently the ride quality of the new EQS is ‘sublime’ thanks to intelligent damper control that can prime the car before a disruption. The EQS also has Car-to-X functionality, so that similarly equipped vehicles can share information about road conditions in real time. Whether in the front seat or the back, the EQS promises an even more serene experience than before.

Once more, while plenty will appear familiar aboard an EQS, complete with 55-inches of Hyperscreen up front, it’s what you can’t see that’s changed most significantly. The Mercedes Benz Operating System (MB.OS for short) is now included, which does nothing less than ‘transforms the EQS into an intelligent companion that understands, thinks ahead and evolves with its driver.’ Which makes it sound a bit like your pet dog, but essentially means that an AI-enhanced supercomputer connected to the Mercedes Intelligent Cloud and can do everything you thought possible for a car (and probably a whole lot more besides). So there’s a virtual assistant, of course, as well as navigation with electric assistance and digital payment possibilities. The old joke about being able to sleep in a car but not drive your house hardly seems more appropriate than with the EQS - Microsoft Teams functionality, YouTube app, highly efficient air filtering and all, you’d never have to leave this thing.

And that’s without considering the rear of the EQS, a ‘place of comfort and exclusivity’ that’s also been revised. Each remote for the pair of 13.1-inch screens is individually configurable, a rear seat comfort package is standard, the seat belts are heated (!) and the Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System offers 15 speakers and Dolby Atmos. So you’ll probably be fine for entertainment at a quick volt and bolt charging stop. Those who don’t like the standard Nappa hide can opt for the Exclusive Nappa Leather Package, or a leather free interior for the first time.

Indeed as is customary when it comes to top-of-the-line Mercedes Benzes, there’s all manner of lavish extras available for the EQS. They include a Manufaktur black paint with glass flakes ‘for a striking shimmer’, laurel decorative stitching in the door panels and now the option of a Manufaktur Made to Measure car. Just in case a huge EV wasn’t going to depreciate enough, the EQS can now be made one of one with 125 paint choices, ‘illuminated door sills with brand lettering, numerous steering wheel variants and emblem packages.’ There’ll be no missing those…

With the latest EQS just announced, and Mercedes understandably keen to make its 140th anniversary year a big one, expect the latest EV in showrooms and on the road sooner rather than later. Prices aren’t yet confirmed, though the claim with the new 400 should mean a starting price that sneaks in under six figures. And probably even worse news for the values of used originals: already one-owner, approved used EQSes are a lot less than £40k…

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Orangutangerine

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