Mercedes-Benz EQS Review (2022-present)

The Mercedes EQS is the halo model for the German brand’s electric car range – an electric Mercedes S-Class, if you like. The Mercedes EQS is the first Mercedes to use a new, bespoke platform that’s been developed exclusively for EVs, and you can see that in the very long wheelbase in between axles that sit at the extremities of the platform, and much shorter bonnet than you get on most petrol or diesel cars. We’re not sure that it’s pretty, but it’s certainly got presence.

It’s available in two versions – the Mercedes EQS 450+ that we’ve driven is available with rear-wheel drive only and 329bhp, with prices starting from just under £100,000 and an official WLTP range of up to 453 miles courtesy of the enormous, 107.8kWh (usable capacity) lithium-ion battery. A Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4Matic+ joins the range later in 2022, and gets the same battery but with 657bhp streaming to all four wheels for a 3.8sec 0-62mph time. It starts at a teeth-sucking £157,000, though, albeit in a very stealthy, highly equipped, Batman-worthy Night Edition spec.

That bespoke EV platform has paid off, not only in terms of the battery that the EQS can hold and the way it composes itself on the road, but also in the space that Mercedes has squeezed inside. Yes, the EQS is a similar size to the Mercedes S-Class, so you expect room and the rear seats don’t disappoint. You can seat three across the bench as standard, or there’s a Rear Luxury Lounge package that brings electrically adjustable rear seats with massage function, and central tablet for full control of all the media and comfort elements from the back seats. The panoramic sliding glass roof is standard across the range and makes things feel light and airy, too.

Rear seat space and comfort is up there with the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series and other traditional limos, then, but boot practicality is on another level. The Mercedes EQS has a big hatchback boot opening that reveals a huge 610-litre boot, which will easily take a couple of full-size suitcases. There’s cable storage under the boot floor, too, although there’s no ‘frunk’ or front boot, as some EV users may be expecting. In fact, the Mercedes EQS clamshell bonnet is sealed shut for better aerodynamics courtesy of fewer panel gaps, and even the windscreen washer fluid is accessed via a ‘services’ hatch on the front passenger-side wing of the car. Regardless, the Mercedes EQS is perhaps an unlikely practicality champion, which offers estate-like boot space and access, with limo luxury for those in the back.

It’s also a fabulous experience to sit in the front of the EQS, with fully electrically adjustable seats offering top-notch comfort, exquisite material finish and contrasts (particularly on those cars with the yacht-style wood inserts), and decent visibility all round. If we’re looking for quibbles, the trademark Mercedes turbine air vents could feel better quality, as the plastic feels a little light and cheap for what you’d expect.

You’d expect a top-end luxury saloon from Mercedes to be world class when it comes to ride and refinement, and you won’t be disappointed here. Adaptive air suspension is standard, and keeps the ride comfort on the EQS pillowy. Go for smaller 21-inch alloy wheels if you can; we’ve tried the EQS with these (20-inch is the smallest available) as well as the 22-inch wheels that come on higher trims, and while both are comfortable, the smaller wheels make the EQS even cushier around town – and help deliver a better range.

Refinement is also hard to fault, with barely a vibration through any controls, and no electric motor whine to be heard. Wind noise is well supressed, too, over the slick coupe-like shape of the EQS, so this is a world class tourer, of that there is no doubt. Having said that, it’s also easy to drive around town, especially in those cars that have four-wheel steering (standard on all but the entry-level AMG Line trim). The steering is light but precise, and the EQS feels wieldy despite its 5.2m length.

You’re more conscious of its size on typical country roads, where it feels quite wide, and while the handling is slick and responsive it’s no Porsche Taycan when it comes to driver engagement. It’s fun when you want it to be, yes, and the augmented whirring and whooshing sounds that it makes in Sport mode are surprisingly entertaining. But the EQS always feels like a classy, long-legged limo-esque car with a hint of driver engagement, while the Porsche Taycan always feels like a sports GT that puts driver reward first, even while it serves as a luxurious touring car, as well. For context, the Audi e-tron GT, Tesla Model S and BMW iX hit something of a happy medium between the two in terms of driving character and remit.

Performance in the Mercedes EQS 450+ is more than fine – it feels properly hearty and responsive whether you’re asking for a burst of mid-range acceleration or looking to get away from a junction in short order. It’s not the thrilling performance that you get in the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT and Tesla Model S, but it feels absolutely appropriate and satisfying in the Mercedes EQS.

In fact, the whole thing feels absolutely appropriate and satisfying. Serene most of the time, but with ample feedback and a lovely, organic feel to the driver controls that will help to make it very easy to drive whether you’re chauffeuring yourself or someone else.

It’s easier to list the stuff that you don’t get as standard with the Mercedes EQS, as it is quite lavishly equipped even in entry-level AMG Line. Even so, many will step up to AMG Line Premium as it brings the four-wheel steering, ‘digital’ led headlights that flood the road with high-beam illumination without blinding oncoming cars or cyclists, 21-inch alloy wheels and a Burmester sound system, and upgraded semi-autonomous driving system. AMG Line Premium Plus steps up the style ante and also adds a head-up display, automatic parking system and ‘ship’s deck’ walnut interior trim. Luxury also features the walnut ‘ship’s deck’ finish, while Exclusive Luxury trim tops the Mercedes EQS 450+ range and brings full massage function with comfort modes that you can ask to de-stress you, warm you and more.

Every Mercedes EQS gets a large driver readout with variable views and the best graphics of any driver readout. A huge central touchscreen offers all the features you’d expect, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satnav, online functionality with music streaming, WiFi hotspot and ‘natural’ voice command. It even has ‘augmented reality’ on the satnav, which shows a camera view of the road with the upcoming turn on your nav guidance appearing as a moving arrow to show you the junction in question. The head-up display also shows this augmented navigation.

All of this is controlled via the screens, or via two small touch-sensitive pads on the steering wheel, which sounds like an unnecessary faff but in practice are surprisingly intuitive. The voice control is also one of the more accurate systems on the market.

The real technology showcase in the Mercedes EQS is its optional Hyperscreen system. This effectively turns the entire dashboard into one, seamless glass fascia that houses the digital driver’s display, an even larger central screen and a third screen for the passenger. Ultimately, the user interface is the same but the appearance, graphics and sheer sense of futuristic, minimalist wonder that this inspires is second to none. It’s exceptional in its appearance, but importantly it’s also easy to use and you can dim or turn off both the central and passenger screens with only a few prods.

Overall, this is an exceptional, class-leading interior.

The Mercedes EQS is not cheap by any standard, but it is comparable value to other luxury limousines and four-door GTs, both petrol and electric. Given the equipment, it is in fact very similar in value to Mercedes’s own S-Class, and with long-range electric cars currently holding their value extremely well, it’s very likely that the EQS will avoid the infamous depreciation often suffered by large limo-class cars.

Electricity is also still much cheaper as a fuel than petrol or diesel. The Mercedes EQS will do 3.0 miles per kWh without much fuss – usefully better than you’ll see from the less aerodynamic BMW iX, or other luxury electric SUVs such as the Audi e-tron. That’s a benefit of its aerodynamic shape, as it’s certainly not a light car at some 2.5 tonnes.

At that rate of efficiency, you’re paying just over 9p per mile assuming you’re charging at home, even at 28p/kWh rather than a cheaper overnight tariff. That’s still about half what you’ll pay for a petrol car doing 40mpg, although those miles that the EQS does off the back of an ultra-rapid charge at 50p/kWh or more will be costing a similar amount to what you’d be paying for that 40mpg petrol car.

It’s free of road tax, and free into London’s congestion zone and other inner-city clean air zones until 2025, at least, so there are serious savings still to be made by going electric – even in the luxury car classes.

The Mercedes EQS is too new to have been subject to any owner surveys or warranty claim data, but it does get a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty. More than that, the battery gets a standard 10-year, 155,000-mile warranty – class-leading cover that usefully betters the 8-year, 100,000-mile cover that most rivals offer. On top of that, there’s a three-year, pan-European roadside assistance package that can be extended for a remarkable 30 years if you continue to service the EQS at an approved dealer every year.

Having said that, Mercedes as a brand was rated a very disappointing 22nd out of 30 brands included in the 2021 What Car? used car reliability survey. It managed a middling 13th out of 29 manufacturers rated in the Driver Power survey, which rates new car reliability as well as owner satisfaction.