I was fortunate enough to drive the Mercedes EQS 450+ , which is the first fully electric vehicle, where range anxiety is not such an issue. A s it happened, at the last minute I decided not to do the road trip with the latter, and it was a good decision. Locality, and circumstance would have undone the EQS, as we went to the Drakensberg near Winterton, which would have afforded us the opportunity to turn around and recharge at Harrismith, where they have fast chargers.

But trucks had been burned at the Tugela Plaza and traffic was diverted onto the Oliviershoek pass road, where we sat for hours. Enough said. Being the S-Class of electric cars, the EQS is unmatched in terms of comfort and refinement. It is distinctively good looking as well, and garnered many admiring glances. And of course the range which osscilates between 680 -720km is ground breaking indeed.

Looks.

Really snazzy looking car is the EQS 450+, from the futuristic front end,  ‘Black Panel’ unit. Innovative headlights connected by a light band and the deep black radiator grille (Black Panel) form the distinctive face. The exclusive look of the Black Panel radiator grille with central Mercedes star can be enhanced still further: as an optional extra, they are also available with a three-dimensional star pattern.

The coupe styling which has the distinctive slope, and in the black colour looks so cool. Although the EQS is a close relative of the new S-Class, it is built on an all-electric architecture. This completely new concept made a rigorous Purpose Design possible: with its one-bow lines and cab-forward design with fastback, the EQS is clearly distinguishable from vehicles with combustion engines even at first glance. The design philosophy of Sensual Purity, combined with Progressive Luxury, is reflected in generously sculpted surfaces, reduced joints and seamless transitions

The Cabin.

Let’s start with the dominant turbine-design side air vents, underscore the masterful engineering skill that has been applied here. A new feature of the EQS is a visualisation in the infotainment system (MBUX Mercedes-Benz User Experience) showing whether the available battery capacity is sufficient to return to the starting point without charging. Charging Stations along the route that have been added manually are given preference in the route calculation. Proposed charging stations can be excluded.

The MBUX Hyperscreen (standard on the EQS 53) is the absolute highlight in the interior. This large, curved screen unit sweeps almost from A-pillar to A-pillar. Three screens sit under a cover glass and appear to merge into one.

The 12.3-inch OLED display for the front passenger gives them their own display and control area. The entertainment functions are only available there while the car is being driven in accordance with the country-specific legal regulations. Mercedes-EQ relies on an intelligent, camera-based locking logic: if the camera detects that the driver is looking at the front passenger display, it is automatically dimmed. This gave one the feeling of a jet airliner.

The Heart of the Matter.

In South Africa, the EQS range is being launched with two derivatives, including the first local all-electric model from Mercedes-AMG: the EQS 450+ and Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+. Both models’ lithium-ion battery is one of the largest-ever fitted to an electric vehicle and has an energy content of 107.8 kWh. This allows a driving range according to WLTP of up to 782 km in the EQS 450+. With an output of 484 kw, it is pretty quick, this for the EQS 53.

The EQS can be charged with up to 200 kW at fast charging stations with direct current. At home or at public charging stations, the EQS can be conveniently charged with up to 22 kW with AC using the on-board charger. In addition, there are various intelligent charging programs that can be activated automatically depending on the location, and functions such as particularly battery-saving charging.

Safety.

The latest generation of driver assistance systems includes numerous driver support functions. New, for example, is the additional microsleep warning from ATTENTION ASSIST. It analyses the driver’s eyelid movements through a camera on the driver’s display (only in conjunction with MBUX Hyperscreen). The assistance display within the driver’s display shows the operation of the driving assistance systems in a comprehensible full-screen view. 

As an exceptionally intelligent vehicle, the EQS has up to 350 sensors, depending on the equipment. These record distances, speeds and accelerations, lighting conditions, precipitation and temperatures, seat occupancy as well as the driver’s blink of an eye or the passengers’ speech. This wealth of information is processed by control units that, controlled by algorithms, make decisions at lightning speed. So they are the brain, so to speak. The new EQS can expand its capabilities based on new experiences, because it is highly capable of learning thanks to artificial intelligence (AI).

New to ENERGIZING COMFORT are the three ENERGIZING NATURE programs Forest Glade, Sound of the Sea and Summer Rain. These provide an immersive and impressively realistic on-board sound experience. These calming sounds were created in consultation with the acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton. As with the other programs that form part of ENERGIZING Comfort, lighting moods and images are used to address other senses.

Pricing.

The EQS 450+ and Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ will be available in South Africa from November 2022. The EQS 450+ will cost R2,615,700 and the EQS 53 4MATIC+ R3,410,100. These prices include a PremiumDrive Platinum 5-year/100,000 km maintenance plan and a 10-year battery warranty

Summation.

This car felt like it was from the future, pure luxury to drive and experience. I would have loved to have done the road trip, if our roads lent themselves to it.

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