The blueprint for Mercedes’ traditional flagship saloon gets an electric reinvention
You wouldn’t think that an outfit as traditional as Mercedes would come to specialise in brave conquest models designed to fight on new class fronts.However, not only is it debatable just how ‘traditional’ modern Mercedes is, but it’s also a measure of the ferocious competition in the car industry that, aside from the torrent of crossovers introduced since the Mercedes ML SUV broke new ground in 1998, the firm has launched at least three bona fide and entirely separate conquest models in the past decade.First there was the Mk3 A-Class, intended to take sales from the Volkswagen Golf. Then there was the Mercedes-AMG GT, aimed at turning the heads of Porsche 911 buyers.Now we find out how the third conquest special devised in Stuttgart will fare: the all-electric Mercedes EQS flagship saloon, launched to take on the Tesla Model S.It’s bigger than that, though. This car will lead the line for Mercedes as it closes in on 2030 – the self-imposed E-Day, from which point on it will sell only purely electric cars in Europe.Over-the-air software updates, industry-leading aerodynamic efficiency and driving range, an immense infotainment array and crushing performance, if you want it: the EQS would seem to have it all, for a price.Its platform has also been deployed for the upcoming, smaller Mercedes EQE saloon and will underpin two more EQ-branded SUVs in the near future, so it needs to be good.Just how good it is slid under the EQS – which is ostensibly an electric alternative to the Mercedes S-Class, on whose Sindelfingen production line the newcomer is built – we will now discover.Range at a glanceFor now, the UK gets only a trimmed EQS range consisting of the RWD EQS 450+ and 4WD Mercedes-AMG EQS 53. In other markets, you can have a 450 4Matic and the more powerful 500 4Matic, with the 516bhp EQS 580 4Matic crowning the non-AMG derivatives. The UK line-up should fill out soon.Assuming you desire AMG’s first take on the EQS, you have a choice between Night Edition and Touring. The main difference is that the Touring can be optionally equipped with the Rear Luxury Lounge package and gets larger, 22in wheels while the Night Edition has more aggressive styling and can be had with the AMG Performance package. That hikes power to 751bhp. EnginesPowerPriceMercedes-Benz EQS 450+AMG Line329bhp£102,160Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 Night Edition*649bhp£157,160Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 Night Edition Performance751bhp£166,155*Variant tested