Living in New York City, it’s not often that I get to drive without stress. It’s also not often I get to drive a fun car like a Mercedes EQS, so when we had the chance to take a test drive of their electric vehicles during CES 2023, I was excited. Obviously, you can’t gauge too much from a quick test drive, but it was fun to experience some of the features in person, behind the wheel.
MERCEDES-AMG EQS LOOK AND DESIGN
It’s a Mercedes, so it almost goes without saying the car has a luxurious look and feel inside and out. We started with the top-of-the-line Mercedes-AMG EQS Sedan. I am someone who enjoys bells and whistles. Give me all the tech and luxury! A good gimmick is great when it’s not only gimmicky but useful. We also drove the EQS SUV. A lot of similarities between the main features offered. Of course, different builds get you more features, and the battery and power of the SUV are different from the sedan.
MERCEDES EQS FEATURES
We already know to expect a higher level of luxury when it comes to the Mercedes-AMG line. The AMG EQS steering wheel is a thing of beauty. You can get it in three different finishes. The MBUX Hyperscreen is dope. I love that it is integrated into the dashboard. It is actually the dashboard. It’s a 56-inch curved screen (from door to door) with OLED technology in the center and passenger side. That means the passenger’s side gets its own screen too.
I do everything to not be a distracted driver. So the implementation of “Hey Mercedes” is pretty cool. You can use it conversationally to adjust settings. For example, instead of saying, “Hey Mercedes, turn the heat on,” you can say, “Hey Mercedes, I’m cold,” and the car will respond by saying it is raising the temperature.
Under the Hyperscreen, you have a little storage compartment with a wireless charging pad and two USB-C ports. Pretty nice to have so many charging options available.
So for the numbers people, here are what the AMG EQS is packing in terms of speed and power: Dual AMG electric motors with 649 hp, and can send 700 lb-ft of instantaneous torque to all four wheels. RACE START can deliver up to 751 hp and 752 lb-ft bursts, good for 0-60 in 3.4 seconds. What does that feel like under your feet? It feels light but fast. The torque on this car is incredible. You feel it pick up so quickly!
So what does that mean for charging times and distances? Mercedes has a charging network of almost 60,000 charging stations. You can get up to 186 miles with a 15-minute charge (for the sedan). Mercedes plans on having over 400 charging stations in North America.
As expected, it was a smooth ride. I tried the different driving modes. Getting a massage when telling the UI that my back hurt wasn’t bad at all. It is definitely driving in luxury. I like a clean look of bells and whistles. Such a quiet experience. Even adjusting the seats was quiet. You don’t hear the motors; you just feel the seat moving back.
We also took the Mercedes EQS SUV for a quick spin. It’s super spacious and doesn’t skimp on the luxury, either. It can seat up to seven people if you add the extra row. Luxury and comfort are also available for the second row. There is the option of massages and screens.
Again, a lot to take in in such a short test drive, but it was enjoyable. I never gave electric luxury driving much thought, but I can see a noticeable difference in comfort and pricing, of course, depending on what build you get.
A fun experience overall. It’s great to see all of the options there are for electric vehicles and how this option is growing without losing the comfortable driving experience.
