Think of the 2022 Mercedes Benz EQS not as an “electric S-Class” but an S-Class re-imagined for the 21st century. Interestingly this is also how the S-Class and EQS were engineered. The EQS and S-Class were designed side by side and share some of their electronic gadgets, but aside from a little software and some safety systems they share essentially nothing.
The EQS rides on an all-new EV specific platform designed from the ground up to be electric, accommodate big batteries and be highly efficient. Oh, and support a hatchback design. Yep, the EQS may be styled like a 2000s era cab forward Chrysler, but it is in-fact a sportback/liftback/hatchback like the Mercedes CLS. This yields a huge improvement in cargo practicality vs the more traditional S-Class.
For the moment there’s just one battery, a 107.8 kW lithium pack, and your choice of two power levels. The EQS450 sports a single motor good for 329 horsepower and rear wheel drive while the EQS580 adds a motor up front for better traction and 516 horsepower total. Adding the extra motor drops the 0-60 to 4.0 seconds and nudges range down from 350 miles in the EQS450 to 340 miles in the EQS580. Not a bad trade in my opinion.
