A day spent pushing a pre-production 2022 Mercedes Benz EQS provided an cursory look at what the German automaker has been performing with all the billions of dollars it’s dedicated to electrification.
The EQS is a superbly constructed flagship sedan which brings together the automaker’s MBUX infotainment system, a new electrical platform and advancements in functionality. It is an unapologetic pursuit to set a new benchmark for a full-size luxury sedan which happens to be electrical.
The luxury electrical sedan is meant to show American consumers what Mercedes can deliver (and certainly will ) in the future with EVs. And the stakes are high. The German automaker is banking on a successful rollout of the EQS in North America.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
“It’therefore the beginning of a new era, since so much we needed a completely flexible platform set up with all hybrids, ICE, and BEVs,” said Christophe Starzynski, mind of the EQ brand, that added that Mercedes will add three additional electric vehicles to its U.S. portfolio with 2025, including the EQE and two additional SUVs. “This is the first time that we really designed and developed and put all the tech within an battery electric car. ”
The EQS is the 17-foot extended flagship derivative of the S-Class, Mercedes-Benz’s high tech luxury sedan which has a base price of $110,000. (So much, pricing on EQS hasn’t already been shown.) It’s carried with its very best technology so far. Although most customers won’t appreciate all the doodads optioned with this car, they might enjoy realizing it’s stored in that extensive infotainment cloud, or only a software update away.
The first drive
A completely loaded EQS is such a leap forward it gets the new S Class already feel of a different era.
The EQS 580 4Matic version I tested came ’d out with all the 56-inch Hyperscreen, head up display, acoustic , rear seat entertainment along with an air filtration system, that Starzynski said pre-dates the pandemic, but obviously feels very of the second.
At writing, the car’s outside details are under wraps till its show April 15. The version I tested was partially masked, so I could ’t tell you much about the nuances of its A column.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
My five-year-old daughter followed me about the test drive. We started in the Mercedes Manhattan car dealer, in which EQS was exhibited in the store window. As I approached the car, the driver automatically swung open with amazing fanfare. From the vantage point of her booster seat, my daughter played the rear display that awakens in front of her. She selected ambient lighting in purple and pink hues to the cabin. Her top takeaway: “It’therefore sparkly rainbow ride. ”
The backseat experience actually matters a bit, since EQS is chauffeur friendly, ” a prereq for luxury cars in China, the hub for EV earnings for the next decade.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
Meanwhile, up front, such as a tall man like myself, the broad driver seat — accented from the pillow which cradled the bottom of my neck — was one of the most comfortable rides I’ve had. Once belted in, the car is mood. Cue the lighting and sound design whistles and bells.
As far as I could love the feeling of sonic silver crystals to compensate for that dimmed EV whir, we soon opted to blast the five year old’s current favourite Barbie soundtrack in the billowing pair of 15 Burmester speakers. (There are unlucky compromises involved with bringing in a five year old and the ride)
Everything in the EQS emanates from the 56-inch Hyperscreen OLED, that is broken up into three individual displays spanning door-to-door. In individual, it’s less intrusive as it looks in photos. Its elliptical contour has a gamer-like cockpit sensibility.
The MBUX works are placed on the main 17.7-inch OLED display, to the rear of the steering wheel. The passenger can elect to personalize their own touchscreen, too. Within the powerful computation process is 24-gigabytes of RAM and 46.4 GB per minute RAM memory, and eight CPU cores.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
The consumer experience
Simplicity is a hallmark of good design, embodied in the very best of Apple products. In contrast, Mercedes has always been big on providing a shocking pair of consumer experience alternatives and providing multiple approaches to access information. That inclination carries over in the EQS, together with controls on the steering wheel, arm rest, along with chief display. On test drives, I locate several possibilities for controls distracting. I am never positive if it’s because I harbor ’t had the opportunity to fully accommodate, in precisely the identical manner a new attribute on a smartphone requires a couple months to get accustomed to, or even should it’s plain overkill. I noticed the heads up screen, however it was just only one place too many to look at that time I spent in the car.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
What interested me is the MBUX system studies motorist behavior over time. From the end of the ride, the display module reminded me that maybe I would like to tee up my busy seat massage once more. Simply speaking, I could skip the other controls and focus on what I wanted to use most. Voice commands were adequate, though my high pitch tenor managed to stump the system. I’ve yet to meet an automotive voice system which understands me all of the time.
There’s no room for analog in the EQS encounter. The graphics are sharp, multidimensional-dimensional, and apparent. One drawback was my fingerprints smudged about the touchscreens. Professional tip: bring along a great display spritzer and cloth before shooting photos. Another small grip was the steering wheel seemed to be designed for a individual with much larger hands than mineand it was a little awkward to access all the functions saved on the wheel, which forced me to glance down to get the right spots. I wound up relying upon the MBUX center screen to correct settings.
My favourite part of the EQS user encounter is the way it handled messaging about range. At all times, the numerous screens on the dashboard displayed just how many miles I had abandoned, if my calculations to my destination were sensible, and mapped where I could go to charge.
The range
About that battery. The model I drove a 107.8 kWh battery pack powering two electrical motors used from the all-wheel-drive system. The range according to European testing is 470 miles, but can drop down according to U.S. EPA testing standards. I drove approximately 125 miles roundtrip from Manhattan to a little town called Beacon and back without even worrying about recharging.
Image Credits: Mercedes Benz
I pulled the display to plot out ChargePoint options presented one click away. In addition, it distinguishes which channels have 200 kW DC fast-chargers readily available, which Mercedes says take around 15 seconds to recharge. To assuage consumers on battery lifetime, Mercedes has added a guarantee that covers reduction of ability of the battery, legitimate for a long time following buy up 150,000 miles.
The takeaway
The driveway itself delivered powerful functionality, as you might anticipate with 517 hp along with 406 lb-ft of torque on the job. The EQS defeats competitors drag coefficient in .20, which is an enjoyable car enthusiast reality, but not mandatory knowledge for regular drivers.
It always requires a moment to get comfortable driving a long saloon, but such as the S Class, the EQS manages its proportions with elegance, and it turns with ease as a result of standard rear-wheel steering. It mirrors the S-Class safety characteristics and ADAS systems. The driveway settings incorporate classic and sport, attainable through steering wheel controls or via the armrest. I am usually a sporty driver, and I liked the peppy feedback this mode delivered.
“Of course we will be developing it further,” Starzysnki said, adding the ADAS features will enhance via software upgrades. Customizable updates like mild settings are also available for download.
The largest differentiator of the EQS driveway is its battery recuperation system. Intelligent recuperation style optimizes the battery and regulates driver actions. Regular recuperation bogged down the interference. I played about with one-pedal driving the street. Drivers may also pick no support at all.
Image Credits: Mercedes-Benz
Mainstream EV adoption in the United States feels like its right across the corner — and it can come even quicker than expected if President Biden’s heritage plan moves. However, automakers will need to do much more than edge out Tesla if they aspire to capture the attention and dollars of U.S. consumers. EVs accounted for just 1.8% of U.S. car sales in 2020, according to Experian and reported in Automotive News.
Sweeping change requires time, funds and a long term dedication. The next degree Mercedes-Benz EQS advantages the playing field one step closer to the tipping point once the EV part of the structure is no more newsworthy, but the expectation of a luxury automobile.
(Disclosure: In 2018, I was a Mercedes-Benz EQ fellow to the Summit Series program, that was sponsored by the automaker, and I was showcased on the EQ homepage)
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