Mercedes
had
approached
the
EQS
with
a
new
approach
–
ditching
its
previous
ICE
platform-based
EVs
for
a
skateboard
setup
with
an
unconventional
body
draped
atop
it
and
interiors
that
would
make
science
fiction
geeks
burst
out
in
tears
of
joy.
Add
in
the
usual
insane
attention
to
detail
with
regards
to
luxury
and
refinement
and
the
new
Mercedes
EQS
seems
to
be
the
definition
of
an
S-Class
in
an
EV
suit.
So
does
the
new
Mercedes
EQS
live
up
to
those
lofty
expectations?
We
drove
the
new,
assembled
in
India,
Mercedes
EQS
580
near
Pune
to
find
out
for
ourselves…
Mercedes
EQS
580
Exterior
Design
–
Throwing
Out
The
Design
Rule
Book
For
A
Good
Reason
Mercedes
has
ditched
the
usual
three-box
design
for
the
EQS
and
have
instead
opted
for
a
liftback-style
sedan
designed
to
smoothly
cut
through
the
air.
The
EQS
may
be
very
large
in
size
but
its
minimal
overhangs
and
smooth
body
have
resulted
in
the
lowest
coefficient
of
drag
for
any
production
vehicle
at
just
0.20
Cd.
At
the
front,
the
new
Mercedes
EQS
580
sports
angular
headlights
that
are
linked
by
a
small
light
bar
and
black
panel
that
takes
the
place
of
the
traditional
grille.
This
panel
sports
a
massive
Mercedes
three-pointed
star
along
with
many
smaller
versions
of
the
logo
etched
across
its
width
that
are
lit
and
provide
quite
the
lighting
profile
in
the
dark.
There
is
a
large
vent
in
the
centre
of
the
lower
section
of
the
front
bumper
that
helps
keep
the
EV
powertrain
cool.
The
bonnet
of
the
EQS
is
a
clamshell
unit
that
cannot
be
opened
by
anyone
other
than
a
Mercedes
technician.
This
bonnet
along
with
the
heavily
raked
windscreen
and
the
steeply
sloping
roofline
helps
the
EQS
580
scythe
through
the
air.
However,
the
closed-off
bonnet
has
meant
that
Mercedes
has
had
to
engineer
a
flap
on
the
front
left
fender
of
the
EQS
to
help
top
up
the
windscreen
washer
fluid.
Other
design
highlights
seen
on
the
sides
of
the
EQS
580
include
the
aerodynamic
20-inch
alloy
wheels
shod
with
Pirelli
rubber
and
the
frameless
doors
with
flush
door
handles.
The
rear
section
of
the
new
Mercedes
EQS
is
dominated
by
the
large
lightbar
style
taillights
that
just
add
to
the
unique
look
of
the
luxury
electric
sedan.
The
boot
sports
a
small
spoiler
element
and
can
be
opened
by
pressing
the
large
Mercedes
badge
at
the
rear.
The
sloping
rear
section,
windscreen
and
all
lift
up
to
reveal
a
massive
610-litre
boot
enough
to
keep
all
the
golf
bags
you’ll
ever
need
for
a
round
or
any
luggage
required
for
a
good
trip
to
escape
the
city.
Mercedes
EQS
580
Interior
Design
&
Features
–
The
Enterprise
Deck
In
Real
Life
Attention
all
Trekkies,
your
favourite
starship
is
now
a
reality.
Any
Star
Trek
fan
that
steps
into
the
cabin
of
the
EQS
580
is
likely
to
end
up
melting
from
seeing
their
sci-fi
dreams
becoming
real
due
to
the
presence
of
the
massive
56-inch ‘Hyperscreen’ display
that
covers
the
dash
from
one
edge
to
the
other.
The
Hyperscreen
actually
consists
of
three
different
displays
under
a
single
pane
of
glass.
These
screens
include
12.3-inch
displays
for
both
the
driver
and
the
front
passenger
along
with
a
large
17.7-inch
touchscreen
unit
in
the
centre
for
the
infotainment
system
and
the
HVAC
controls
among
others.
To
ensure
that
the
Hyperscreen
flies
through
the
graphics
the
system
powering
it
features
an
8-core
processor
and
24GB
of
RAM.
The
three
displays
are
powered
by
the
Mercedes
MBUX
setup.
There
are
quite
a
few
sensors
and
some
AI
magic
that
ensure
the
driver
focuses
on
the
road
ahead
by
not
allowing
them
to
view
the
front
passenger
hitting
a
new
high
score
playing
a
game
on
their
display.
The
main
infotainment
display
is
quite
large
and
easy
to
navigate
with
Mercedes
even
filtering
in
video
from
the
cameras
on
the
car
to
give
you
a
real-time
view
of
the
road
ahead
when
using
navigation.
Owners
can
link
up
their
phones
to
the
infotainment
with
either
Android
Auto
or
Apple
CarPlay.
The
controls
on
the
steering
wheel
can
also
be
used
to
navigate
through
the
various
menus
and
features
though
we
found
that
the
easier
and
more
intuitive
way
to
do
this
was
to
summon
the
voice
assistant
with
the ‘Hey
Mercedes’
catchphrase.
While
the
front
seats
are
very
plush
and
quite
nice
places
to
be,
it
is
the
rear
seats
that
are
the
best
place
to
be
in
the
new
EQS.
While
there
is
space
for
three
at
the
back,
we
know
many
owners
would
rather
bring
down
the
central
armrest
and
make
use
of
the
tablet
fitted
to
it
to
control
the
infotainment
setup.
There
are
enough
recline
levels
to
keep
even
the
taller
people
at
the
rear
clear
of
the
sloping
roofline.
Add
in
the
insane
levels
of
knee
and
legroom
along
with
the
offered
under-thigh
support
levels
means
that
it
is
quite
easy
to
nod
off
when
you’re
seated
in
the
back
of
the
EQS
580.
There
are
a
host
of
other
features
controlled
by
a
roof-mounted
sensor
array
placed
just
ahead
of
the
rear
seat.
The
massive
panoramic
sunroof
ensures
that
the
EQS
580’s
massive
interiors
feel
even
bigger
with
the
amount
of
light
it
lets
in.
The
Mercedes
EQS
comes
packed
with
a
host
of
passive
safety
features
like
9
airbags
and
many
ADAS
systems,
the
latter
of
which
we
weren’t
really
able
to
test
out.
Another
safety
feature
on
the
EQS
580
is
the
artificial
humming
noise
it
produces
when
travelling
under
30km/h
to
warn
pedestrians
about
its
imminent
arrival.
The
Mercedes
EQS
comes
packed
with
a
host
of
passive
safety
features
like
9
airbags
and
many
ADAS
systems,
the
latter
of
which
we
weren’t
really
able
to
test
out.
Another
safety
feature
on
the
EQS
580
is
the
artificial
humming
noise
it
produces
when
travelling
under
30km/h
to
warn
pedestrians
about
its
imminent
arrival.
Mercedes
EQS
580
Specs
&
Dimensions
–
Going
Big
The
Mercedes
EQS
is
powered
by
a
twin
electric
motor
setup
(one
on
each
axle)
that
combine
together
to
produce
516bhp
and
855Nm
of
peak
torque
which
is
sent
to
all
four
wheels
via
a
single-speed
automatic
gearbox.
Providing
the
juice
to
the
spinning
demons
on
the
axles
is
a
massive
107.8kWh
(usable)
battery
pack
(the
largest
on
any
EV
seen
in
India
to
date)
that
allows
for
a
range
of
857km
as
per
ARAI’s
MIDC
testing
cycle
(676km
on
WLTP).
The
battery
pack
supports
charging
speeds
of
up
to
200kW
and
if
you
find
an
outlet
then
the
EQS
580
will
recharge
its
battery
pack
from
10
to
80
per
cent
in
just
31
minutes.
Home
charging
from
10
to
100
per
cent
with
a
fast
22kW
three-phase
AC
charger
takes
a
lot
longer
at
just
under
6
hours.
The
Mercedes
EQS
580
is
based
on
the
German
carmaker’s
aluminium-intensive
Electric
Vehicle
Architecture
(EVA).
Despite
the
intensive
use
of
aluminium,
the
EQS
580
weighs
in
at
2,585kg.
The
Mercedes
EQS
580
is
5,216mm
long,
1,926mm
wide
and
1,512mm
tall.
The
wheelbase
of
the
EQS
580
EV
is
a
massive
3,210mm
long
while
the
ground
clearance
is
a
rather
low
134mm.
The
EQS
580
features
adaptive
air
suspension
all
around
which
automatically
adjust
its
settings
depending
on
which
driving
mode
–
Eco,
Comfort,
Sport
or
Individual
–
is
chosen
by
the
driver.
The
EQS
580
features
a
four-link
setup
at
the
front
and
a
multi-link
setup
at
the
rear.
The
EQS
580
rides
on
20-inch
alloy
wheels
that
sport
255/45
R20
Pirelli
tyres.
Mercedes
EQS
Driving
Impressions
–
Physics
Defying
Smooth
Operator
The
twin
motor
setup
pushing
out
516bhp
and
855Nm
of
torque
of
the
EQS
580
allows
the
electric
luxury
barge
to
glide
through
the
roads
with
ease.
Depending
on
the
driving
mode
chosen
–
Eco,
Comfort
&
Sport
–
the
EQS
580
offers
different
settings
for
the
throttle
response,
steering
and
suspension.
Comfort
is
the
option
most
chauffeured
EQS
580
owners
will
choose
but
we
recommend
Sport
for
those
looking
for
a
bit
of
electric
feel.
In
Sport
mode,
the
dual
motors
dish
out
all
their
power
to
propel
the
EQS
580
from
0-100km/h
in
just
4.3
seconds,
enough
to
push
you
into
your
seat.
The
adaptive
air
suspension
setup
on
the
EQS
580
is
absolutely
top-notch
and
takes
care
of
most
bumps
and
potholes
with
ease.
The
EQS
also
learns
your
routes
and
will
adjust
the
suspension
to
deal
with
the
rough
spots
on
a
road
it
has
learned
before
the
driver
ever
sports
them.
The
adaptive
suspension
also
ensures
that
body
roll
is
kept
to
a
minimum
when
traversing
around
a
turn.
However,
don’t
let
the
learning
EQS
fool
you
into
driving
like
one
and
sending
it
over
rough
spots,
as
the
heavy
underfloor
battery
pack
will
ensure
you
feel
every
one
of
them.
Hopefully,
most
drivers
will
be
dissuaded
from
foolishness
by
the
EQS
580’s
low
ground
clearance
of
134mm.
While
the
EQS
580
glides
through
the
corners,
you’ll
feel
disconnected
thanks
to
the
rather
vague
steering
setup.
The
rear-wheel
steering
though,
makes
getting
out
of
tight
spots
a
breeze.
The
brakes
on
the
EQS
580
are
quite
nice
when
used
in
conjunction
with
the
EV’s
regen
system.
There
is
barely
any
initial
bite
and
the
long
travel
brake
pedal
feels
a
bit
odd.
However,
pushing
down
further
on
the
brake
pedal
allows
for
a
much
more
progressive
braking
feel.
In
fact,
if
you
crank
up
the
regen
settings
to
the
max,
the
EQS
580
can
be
driven
using
just
the
throttle
pedal.
Final
Thoughts
On
The
Mercedes
EQS
580
–
The
EV
S-Class
Is
Here
The
Mercedes
EQS
580
is
the
result
of
what
happens
when
you
allow
the
maker
of
the
world’s
best-known
limo
to
deliver
a
luxury
EV.
With
its
host
of
features
including
the
Star
Trek-like
Hyperscreen
system
and
its
dual
motor
propulsion
setup
and
massive
battery,
the
EQS
580
is
an
electric
S-Class
in
everything
but
its
name.
