Mercedes-Benz has given the EQS a critical second wind, and this isn’t the sort of refresh the place they slap on a brand new shade choice and name it a yr. The up to date electrical saloon arrives with a reworked structure, genuinely spectacular vary numbers, and sufficient know-how packed below its pores and skin to make it really feel like a special automotive from the one which launched again in 2021.
Over 900 km on a single cost? Sure, actually!
Mercedes
The headline quantity right here is tough to disregard. The brand new EQS 450+ is rated at 926 km WLTP vary, a 13% enchancment over the earlier mannequin, which was already no slouch. To place that in real-world phrases, you possibly can drive from Munich to Paris or from Zurich to Hamburg on a single cost with out breaking a sweat or a schedule. Quite a lot of that enchancment comes from a brand new battery with up to date cell chemistry, paired with a next-generation electrical structure. Mercedes has additionally fitted a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle, which helps the drivetrain keep in its effectivity candy spot throughout completely different driving circumstances.
Charging has gotten considerably faster
The brand new EQS adopts an 800-volt structure, unlocking charging speeds of as much as 350 kW. At that fee, you might be including round 320 km of vary in roughly 10 minutes. If you’re caught at a 400-volt station, the battery cleverly splits itself to cost at as much as 175 kW, so you aren’t left ready, whatever the accessible infrastructure. Regenerative braking has additionally taken an enormous step ahead, with recuperation energy now hitting as much as 385 kW. That may be a significant quantity of power being fed again into the battery each time you raise off the accelerator.
Mercedes
That is arguably probably the most attention-grabbing engineering story within the new EQS. Mercedes-Benz turns into the primary German producer to supply steer-by-wire in a series-production automotive, with the choice arriving a number of months after launch. There isn’t a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the entrance wheels. It’s all dealt with electronically, which permits for a extra exact and tunable steering really feel than a conventional setup can provide. For a model that filed the unique car patent 140 years in the past, it’s a fittingly daring transfer.
The inside continues to be a tech showcase
The MBUX Hyperscreen stays commonplace, spanning greater than 55 inches of steady glass and housing three shows in a single seamless floor. The system now runs on MB.OS, Mercedes’ new in-house working system that makes use of AI, handles over-the-air updates, and connects to Mercedes’ cloud infrastructure. The digital assistant can maintain correct back-and-forth conversations reasonably than simply responding to remoted instructions, which brings it nearer to one thing genuinely helpful. Rear passengers get their very own 13.1-inch screens and moveable MBUX remotes for controlling leisure and car features with out leaning ahead to poke on the dashboard.
Mercedes
Past the big-ticket objects, Mercedes has clearly sweated the smaller stuff too. The headlights now mission a area 40% bigger than earlier than whereas consuming half the power. The excessive beam reaches 600 meters down the highway. The HEPA filter retains out practically all airborne particles. The suspension makes use of cloud-based damper regulation that reads upcoming velocity bumps and adjusts in actual time so the EQS floats over them reasonably than thudding via. There may be even seatbelt heating on the entrance seats, which warms as much as 44 levels and is the sort of function that sounds pointless till the primary chilly morning you strive it.
A stronger case than ever
Mercedes
When the EQS first launched, it set the benchmark for electrical luxurious saloons. A number of years on, the competitors has caught up significantly. This refresh appears like Mercedes’ reply to that, addressing the areas the place the unique mannequin was beginning to present its age whereas doubling down on what made it particular. Whether or not the worth tag justifies all of it is a dialog in your accountant, however as a chunk of engineering, the brand new EQS is genuinely onerous to argue with.
