raspy
Active Member
I was holding out for the Lucid Air to arrive in the UK, but this review of the EQS has made me think that I might look at this car as an option. It's good value, starting at £80k. I'm glad MB have started to build EVs with dedicated platforms rather than the compromised EQA and EQC. We shall have to see how efficient the car is in the real world on UK roads in terms of % of claimed range achieved and what options MB UK decides to offer with UK spec cars.
I've posted bits from the Autocar review, rather than the entire article. Link to review is here.
"At 5216mm long, 1926mm wide and 1512mm tall, the EQS is 37mm longer, 28mm narrower and 9mm higher than the S-Class. It rides on a 3210mm wheelbase, which is 106mm longer than that of its ICE-powered equivalent, giving it relatively short overhangs and a very roomy interior. Mercedes claims that, despite its generous dimensions, the EQS betters the Model S for aerodynamic efficiency, with a record-breaking drag coefficient of just 0.20Cd.
The aluminium-intensive Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) of the EQS supports two different layouts: a single motor giving rear-wheel drive or two giving four-wheel drive. The motors are mounted low down within a subframe at the front and within the axle assembly at the rear.
Two EQS variants are available initially. Opening proceedings is the 2480kg EQS 450+, which has one motor that develops 329bhp and 419lb ft, affording a 0-62mph sprint time of 6.2sec. It gets a range of 485 miles from the 107.8kWh battery pack used by all models at launch, equating to efficiency of between 3.1 and 3.9 miles per kWh.
Then there’s the 2510kg, all-wheel drive EQS 580 4Matic, as tested here. Its two motors give it combined outputs of 516bhp and 630lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 4.3sec, while its efficiency is rated at between 2.9 and 3.4 miles per kWh for a 420-mile range.
Step-off is strong, owing to the generous reserves of torque. The car launches with instant response and immense energy. Once momentum is established, it continues to gather pace strongly without any real let-up until you’re at law-breaking speeds. Single-speed gearing ensures that the delivery is linear and unbroken.
This strong performance is clearly helped by the leading aerodynamics: with a slippery shape and minimal drag, the efforts of the motors aren’t wasted on pushing a big pocket of air.
The EQS also tracks remarkably well, cruising up to and beyond typical motorway speeds with exceptional straight-line stability.
Even more impressive than the outright performance is the EQS’s ability to recuperate energy on the move and under braking. Few if any EVs manage to recover electricity and stow it with such outstanding efficiency. This was brought to light when our car was still predicting some 250 miles of range after a three-hour run from Switzerland to Austria.
All of this is backed up a precise and a fittingly flowing feel to the handling. The EQS is a big and heavy car, yet its responses are more like those of a sports saloon than a limo.
The steering is lightly weighted, but there’s still sufficient tactility to the variable-ratio system to ensure you feel involved. The EQS is very reminiscent of the S-Class in this respect, with fluency and accuracy that let you confidently place it on the road. There’s a well-engineered delicacy to the whole steering process, making this a very relaxed car in everyday driving conditions.
Again like the S-Class, the EQS comes with the choice of two rear-wheel steering systems. The more advanced set-up (as fitted to our car) provides up to 10deg of counter or parallel steering to virtually shorten and lengthen the wheelbase at below and above 37mph respectively. So configured, the EQS delivers excellent low-speed manoeuvrability around town, with a turning circle smaller than the A-Class’s (10.9m).
There’s very little wind noise, but even more impressive is the way the EQS avoids road roar. Our car’s 21in 265/40-profile tyres were whisper-quiet on smooth-surfaced roads, further adding to the serenity of the virtually silent powertain. One might buy the EQS on the strength of its refinement alone.
Brake feel is good: there’s a nice progression in the pedal action and a more defined bite point than in Mercedes’s latest petrol-electric PHEVs, allowing you to wipe off speed with confidence, despite the myriad recuperation functions bundled with the friction brakes.
The EQS is truly a lesson in engineering detail. It has clearly benefited from the new-from-the-ground-up approach, with the sort of overall integrity that was missing from previous EQ models.
It’s a terrifically rounded car, with very few compromises and a fittingly high level of perceived quality; a true Mercedes in many respects and quite possibly the world’s most capable electric car right now.
Like the S-Class, which it seems destined to eventually replace, it comes at a high price: you can expect to pay around £80,000 for the EQS 450+ and more than £100,000 for the EQS 580 4Matic. But then you will be receiving a car that represents the cutting edge of EV development and has been executed to near perfection for the market at which it’s targeted."
I've posted bits from the Autocar review, rather than the entire article. Link to review is here.
"At 5216mm long, 1926mm wide and 1512mm tall, the EQS is 37mm longer, 28mm narrower and 9mm higher than the S-Class. It rides on a 3210mm wheelbase, which is 106mm longer than that of its ICE-powered equivalent, giving it relatively short overhangs and a very roomy interior. Mercedes claims that, despite its generous dimensions, the EQS betters the Model S for aerodynamic efficiency, with a record-breaking drag coefficient of just 0.20Cd.
The aluminium-intensive Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA) of the EQS supports two different layouts: a single motor giving rear-wheel drive or two giving four-wheel drive. The motors are mounted low down within a subframe at the front and within the axle assembly at the rear.
Two EQS variants are available initially. Opening proceedings is the 2480kg EQS 450+, which has one motor that develops 329bhp and 419lb ft, affording a 0-62mph sprint time of 6.2sec. It gets a range of 485 miles from the 107.8kWh battery pack used by all models at launch, equating to efficiency of between 3.1 and 3.9 miles per kWh.
Then there’s the 2510kg, all-wheel drive EQS 580 4Matic, as tested here. Its two motors give it combined outputs of 516bhp and 630lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 4.3sec, while its efficiency is rated at between 2.9 and 3.4 miles per kWh for a 420-mile range.
Step-off is strong, owing to the generous reserves of torque. The car launches with instant response and immense energy. Once momentum is established, it continues to gather pace strongly without any real let-up until you’re at law-breaking speeds. Single-speed gearing ensures that the delivery is linear and unbroken.
This strong performance is clearly helped by the leading aerodynamics: with a slippery shape and minimal drag, the efforts of the motors aren’t wasted on pushing a big pocket of air.
The EQS also tracks remarkably well, cruising up to and beyond typical motorway speeds with exceptional straight-line stability.
Even more impressive than the outright performance is the EQS’s ability to recuperate energy on the move and under braking. Few if any EVs manage to recover electricity and stow it with such outstanding efficiency. This was brought to light when our car was still predicting some 250 miles of range after a three-hour run from Switzerland to Austria.
All of this is backed up a precise and a fittingly flowing feel to the handling. The EQS is a big and heavy car, yet its responses are more like those of a sports saloon than a limo.
The steering is lightly weighted, but there’s still sufficient tactility to the variable-ratio system to ensure you feel involved. The EQS is very reminiscent of the S-Class in this respect, with fluency and accuracy that let you confidently place it on the road. There’s a well-engineered delicacy to the whole steering process, making this a very relaxed car in everyday driving conditions.
Again like the S-Class, the EQS comes with the choice of two rear-wheel steering systems. The more advanced set-up (as fitted to our car) provides up to 10deg of counter or parallel steering to virtually shorten and lengthen the wheelbase at below and above 37mph respectively. So configured, the EQS delivers excellent low-speed manoeuvrability around town, with a turning circle smaller than the A-Class’s (10.9m).
There’s very little wind noise, but even more impressive is the way the EQS avoids road roar. Our car’s 21in 265/40-profile tyres were whisper-quiet on smooth-surfaced roads, further adding to the serenity of the virtually silent powertain. One might buy the EQS on the strength of its refinement alone.
Brake feel is good: there’s a nice progression in the pedal action and a more defined bite point than in Mercedes’s latest petrol-electric PHEVs, allowing you to wipe off speed with confidence, despite the myriad recuperation functions bundled with the friction brakes.
The EQS is truly a lesson in engineering detail. It has clearly benefited from the new-from-the-ground-up approach, with the sort of overall integrity that was missing from previous EQ models.
It’s a terrifically rounded car, with very few compromises and a fittingly high level of perceived quality; a true Mercedes in many respects and quite possibly the world’s most capable electric car right now.
Like the S-Class, which it seems destined to eventually replace, it comes at a high price: you can expect to pay around £80,000 for the EQS 450+ and more than £100,000 for the EQS 580 4Matic. But then you will be receiving a car that represents the cutting edge of EV development and has been executed to near perfection for the market at which it’s targeted."