When it comes to buying a luxury electric car, it’s all well and good to buy for sustainability reasons, but it bloody well better hit the mark when factoring in the proverbial bells and whistles. That’s especially true when price points are in the mid $100,000s. That brings us to the Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC.
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Put the aerodynamic design aside. Put the power aside – dual electric motor generating 516n HP 630 lb-ft of torque, 0 to 100 KPH in 4.3 seconds. Put the 547 km range aside. Although that range is very nice, considering a surefire way to lure people away from their gas engine luxury cars will come down to range.
How many of us drive over 500 kilometres per day? All you’d need is best-in-class home charging, for overnight. Mercedes-Benz Canada recently announced they’ve partnered with FLO and Qmerit to offer the FLO Home X5, a fast charging station built to sustain temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees.
As many as 350 sensors combine driver assist features with extensive EV-specific protective measures. The car totally has your back.
For us, though, it was the interior experience that really set the car apart, and in our view places it in good stead as Mercedes now competes in the luxury electric vehicle arena with brethren Lucid, Tesla, BMW and Audi.
MBUX Hyperscreen
Multiple screens come together under a single 56-inch span of high-tech glass at envelops the dash, with full multimedia support. The MBUX Hyperscreen uses artificial intelligence to bring features and commands to the surface. It’s like nothing we have ever seen in a car.
The MBUX infotainment software features a “zero-layer” menu concept for ease of use, voice recognition, augmented MB Navigation – vital in an electric car. Driving EVs, having your destination mapped out, tracking your battery range, is much more of a priority. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are part of it all too.
The driver no longer needs to scroll through submenus or give voice commands to access commonly used applications. The energizing nature programs for all the senses was a particular popular feature during our time spent with the car – forest glade, summer rain, sound of the sea, and sand of the sea (developed with an acoustic ecologist).
Energizing air control and Hepa Filter
The interior features a spa-like ambience – from lighting (64 colours) embedded in the dash, doors and seats to the comfortable seating.
However the real difference-maker for us was the four-stage filtration with a HEPA filter to pre-purify the cabin air to a new level of clean. You can get a read on how polluted the air outside the cabin is, with the air quality and fine particle sensors giving you an accurate read via the MBUX. The Mercedes EQS switches between fresh air and air recirculation mode. The driver can pair up aromatherapy with a rejuvenating massage off of those seats.
Massaging and cooling front seats
Heated power front seats with ventilation and massage controls, with quality leather upholstery, are what greets the driver and passengers. The plush, felt head rest on the driver seat was nice bonus sitting in highway traffic during our drive. So was the jazz music streaming through the Burmester 3D Surround Sound system. The panoramic sunroof, interior lighting, wood and leather accents boosted the spa-like interior ambience.
Rear cabin spaciousness
And speaking of passengers, with the length and wheelbase, the Mercedes EQS sits five very comfortably, with impressive headroom and legroom. This is where Mercedes has a real edge over the competitors like the Tesla Model S. The MBUX Rear-Seat Entertainment System is another bonus for passengers, especially for those longer drives – plenty of multimedia and entertainment options.
Overall, it’s all about progressive, digital luxury, beautiful trim and materials, all through it. The interior of the Mercedes EQS is truly an all-sensory experience that completely turns off the outside world, unlike any other car we’ve driven. Price as tested was $162,150.
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
Check out my stories, and email me direct at mkeast@regardingluxury.com
