Merc's new EQS stays focused on luxury and comfort, EV or not

When Mercedes-Benz unveiled its EQS — a fully electric luxury sedan that sat at the apex of all its alternative fuel offerings — it did something unexpected in India. It unveiled the car on stage at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai from the ceiling as it hung there, attached to cords on the roof.

It embodied two statements. One, that the EQS is a paradigm shift in car-making and unlike how the Stuttgart-based car-maker will be looking at vehicles from now on.

The second, which of course has nothing to do with Merc, is that India now has world-class convention centres where anything from hosting the Bolshoi Ballet to sports events and dangling expensive sports cars from the ceiling is possible. It is in at least one small part a nod to the fact that with the infrastructure comes the vehicles, charging stations and more.

Back to the car. From the outside the EQS AMG is large, imposing and infused with a design sensibility and language markedly different from the rest of the Star’s ICE fleet. Its grill is encased in a seamless stretch of material that looks like it has been heat-fused onto the car. The bonnet and space frame are aerodynamic, but in a manner expected of Merc’s limousines. That is to say, it doesn’t seem to promise wild performance but the AMG lettering on the car of course dispels that.

Globally, this car is priced at around $150,000 or Rs 1.2 crore. There’s little surprise then that its price doubles to Rs 2.4 crore in India given the outlandish duties that CBU cars attract.

Spacious and wide enough to seat five adults in leather-swaddled comfort, the EQS AMG zips from 0 to 100kmh in under four seconds powered by a 107.8 kmh battery that can be charged in around 11 hours via AC connection (10-90 per cent) and around 30 minutes (10-80 per cent) via DC connection. The ride is typical of Mercedes — smooth, pliant and extremely responsive on the steering wheel making manoeuvrability and navigation a cinch for a car that weighs just under 3,000 kg.

This is a fast car that is equipped with more horsepower than one of the latest Corvettes, even though it looks stately and boat-like in terms of design, shape and overall appearance. At least in some part that is thanks to the democratising nature that electric-battery engines play in how speed for cars works today.

A range of around 230 miles or over 400 km means that the EQS AMG has enough capacity to give a driver the range to visit a neighbouring town or do a full week’s regular commuting in the city. The truth is, it is unlikely that such a range will be put to the test regularly given that an EV — cheap, premium, or super-luxury — is almost always the second or the third car in a household in India.

While the AMG adds a serious burst of power, the truth is that most electric cars are fast enough given that they need not go through the gear ratios like ICE cars. But it’s the sportiness and handling that the AMG badge lends, which is evident in its adaptive self-levelling 4-wheel, multilink AMG ride control and sport suspension that is based on Merc’s Airmatic technology. What does that mean in simple English? A driver can change and select the ride feel of the car with a button from sporty to comfortable and in between. With the premium Burmester speakers, ultra-comfy seats, and easy-to-use controls, this is a car that can be toggled between chauffeur-driven and self-drive with equal ease.

So, what’s the verdict on the latest from Mercedes-Benz? Clearly, the engineers in Stuttgart are acknowledging that the EV era is here to stay and are reimagining how they build cars. What they will not let go of anytime soon is their position as the Louis Vuitton of luxury limousines.

Mercedes-Benz EQS 53 AMG: Spec Sheet

Power: 761 bhp

Torque: 1,020 Nm

Kerb weight: 2,655 kg

Range: 529-586 km

Price: Rs 2.45 crore upwards (all India ex-showroom prices)