Mercedes-Benz has taken the covers off its first luxury electric sedan, the EQS. The EQS is built on an all-new architecture and follows the design philosophy of the other EQ products. It comes with a lot of breathtaking stuff that leaves a lasting impression. To give you a peek of what to expect, the car comes with a 478-mile range, the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system in the top trim, and a massive 56-inch Hyperscreen inside the cabin! Oh, and did I mention that it is also officially the world’s most aero-efficient car?

Up to 516 Horsepower, 0-60 MPH in 4.1 Seconds

The 2023 EQS will be available in two different trims – 450+ and 580 4MATIC. The 450+ model is powered by an electric motor that powers the rear wheels only. It will make 329 horses and 419 pound-feet of twist.

The 580 4MATIC comes with a motor on the front axle as well and features the automaker’s 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. It makes 516 ponies and 631 pound-feet of twist, combined, enough for EQS gallop from naught to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. The top speed is the same as the EQS 450+.

The EQS comes with many other interesting specs and features. For starters, it features rear-wheel-steering as standard with an angle of up to 4.5 degrees. You can, however, opt for a 10-degree angle for even tighter turns and agility. This can be done via an over-the-air update!

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS specifications

31 Minutes To a Full Charge - With the Right Charger

Mercedes offers the same 107.8 kWh battery pack on both models. It comes with a 9.6 kW onboard charger as standard and takes 11.25 hours to recuperate when plugged into a wallbox or AC public charging station. It can also add up to 280 miles on the 450+ and 300 miles on the 580 4MATIC trims in 15 minutes when plugged into a fast-charging DC station.

Up to 478 Miles of Range, But Expect Less

The automaker claims a range of 478 miles on a full charge, but this is as per the WLTP cycle. The more stringent EPA estimate will certainly be less than this, but we are still looking at a number above 400 miles. This is rather impressive and in line with its rivals. The Tesla Model S has an estimated range of 412 miles on the Long Range model, while the Lucid Air takes the cake with an estimated range of 517 miles. The Air’s battery isn’t too big either. It’s a 113 kWh pack, which is just a shy larger than the German’s. But, given that the EQS will be priced in the ballpark of the top Model S and Air trims, it could fall short. The Model S in the Plaid+ trim is expected to have a range of 520 miles.

Different Styling But Still Every Bit Mercedes

Mercedes has set EQ designs apart from the traditional styling and it shows. But, it’s not different enough to not call it a Mercedes at the first glance. The EQS is built on a new platform altogether, so the automaker has been courageous to offer something new and fresh. The company has made this the world’s most aero-efficient car, at least for now, anyway. It’s a pretty slick design, devoid of all sharp cuts and creases, and Mercedes calls this ‘Sensual Purity’. The A-pillar is moved forward and the C-pillar is pushed to the rear to create a spacious cabin. Even the clamshell hood almost meets the wheels.

The grille up front is similar to the other EQ products. You can have the black panel here with the Mercedes-Benz pattern. This references the original star of the Daimler- Motorengesellschaft company, which basically is a century-old trademark and is the automaker’s way to pay homage to its heritage. LED lights come as standard and there’s a light band that runs from one end to the other.

The side profile is smooth and seems like a free-flow design. It comes with frameless doors, flush door handles, wing mirrors on the beltline, etc. Mercedes will offer 20- to 22- inch wheels on the EQS. The rear also has a light strip connecting the two taillamps. The derriere, overall, looks sporty. Two design themes – Standard Line and AMG Line – will be on offer. They have quite a few differentiating factors, with the latter coming with stuff like AMG-specific bumpers, high-gloss black chrome treatment all around, 21-inch AMG wheels, and so on.

The EQS Is The World’s Most Aero-Efficient Car

One of the biggest draws is its drag coefficient rating.The EQS beats its chief rivals, the Tesla Model S and the Lucid Air, the latter of which held had a drag coefficient of 0.21, the best rating for a production car until now. The Model S is rated at 0.24.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS measures 205.4 inches in length, 83.7 inches in width, and 59.5 inches in height. The front and rear tracks are rated at 65.6- and 66.2 inches, respectively. To put things into perspective, the new fuel-powered S-Class is 2.6 inches longer than the EQS, but has similar width, height, and tracks.

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS specifications

Luxurious Interior But Practical

With the A-pillar and C-pillar moved outwards, expect the EQS to be very spacious; a lot more than the S-Class. The high dash gives you the vibes of a low-slung sedan. There is ample use of soft-touch plastic, wood, leather, and microfiber suede all around depending on the trim. The rear seats don’t come with a dedicated center console of their own, but the bench seat seems cozy and comfortable. Heating and massage option is available here, too. A four-seat option would’ve been a good alternative to the bench seat.

The cargo area’s dimensions aren’t revealed, but it looks spacious in the images. The rear seats can be flipped down in a 60:40 ratio. The EQS doesn’t come with a frunk, so Mercedes needs to make up for it here.

The Tech Features Here Are A Geek’s Wet Dream

Screens are no more a center console thing and Mercedes is headlining it. If you thought the Cadillac Escalade’s 38-inch screen on the dash was mighty big screen, or the Grand Wagoneer led the way with seven screens on its concept, think again. It houses three screens in total. First up, there’s a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Then there’s a 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system on the center console, and finally, there’s a 12.3-inch touchscreen system for the passenger. As you'd expect, they are powered by the fantastic MBUX system.

The passenger’s touchscreen keeps monitoring the driver and shuts down if it finds the driver looking at it too much. Mercedes has provided this third screen for the passenger to activate seat features like massage, ventilation, and the basic HVAC controls. Even the audio settings, ambient lighting, and navigation can be operated from here. This seems like a screen we didn’t know we needed.

The EQS can be had with four automatic comfort doors. They can be opened and closed remotely via the MBUX system. Mercedes has said it isn’t as intimidating as it sounds and has provided something known as ‘zero layer’ here, wherein the system will understand the functions most commonly used by the driver and place them as little tiles right at the front. This way, you don’t have to go around hunting for functions in the high-detailed and exhaustive system. It should please folks who aren’t tech-savvy and want simplicity.

This will be offered on the top trim and as an option on the base trim. The internal combustion-engine S-Class also features a 12.8-inch touchscreen system. The rear passengers get their own 12.3-inch touchscreens mounted on the front seatbacks.

The EQS Won't Come Cheap

Mercedes is yet to announce the pricing for the 2023 EQS, but expect it to be priced at a slight premium over the S-Class. So, we’re probably looking at a starting price of around $110,000 and the top trim going over $150,000 with options and accessories. For the sake of comparison, the Tesla Model S Plaid + and the Lucid Air Grand Touring are priced at $142,990 and $131,500 respectively.

When Will It Arrive?

The Mercedes EQS is expected to arrive Stateside by the end of this year and all the official EQS specs and numbers could be revealed a little before this.