Headline numbers matter a great deal when it comes to automobiles, particularly so with EVs. With the Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4Matic, these numbers are truly remarkable – 857km of ARAI-certified range, a 0-100kmph time of 4.3 seconds, a 107.8kWh battery and the ability to be topped-up with a 200kW charger. Any of these numbers in isolation would have been impressive, but all that together and we have an automobile that is certainly worthy of your attention.
The AMG variant of Merc’s top-of-the-line electric sedan, with much of the same hardware, delivered a staggeringly quick sedan. The EQS 580 approaches things differently. Built on the same all-electric platform as the EQS 53 4Matic+, the EQS 580 is the first Mercedes EV to be assembled in India. As a result, it is more affordable by Rs 90 lakh when compared to the fully imported AMG variant. It even manages to undercut its ICE sibling, the S-Class by Rs 5 lakh due to a lower 5 per cent tax rate as opposed to the 28 per cent for the S-Class. With the launch of the EQS, India becomes the only country outside Germany where Mercedes-Benz’ electric flagship is assembled.
At first glance, it has to be said that the EQS doesn’t look like any other Mercedes-Benz. The classic three box shape that you’d expect to see in a luxury sedan just isn’t there. Instead, there is a monobox design which definitely stands out in a crowd. It gives the EQS 580 a coupe-like shape. Mercedes-Benz claims that this has helped it achieve a drag coefficient of 0.20, the lowest for any production car in the world (interestingly, the EQS 53 has a Cd of 0.23).
The one bow design that extends all the way from the bonnet (that cannot be opened without help from a technician) to the perfectly aerodynamic roof that flows neatly into the rear hatch, the EQS 580, is stunning to look at. The design manages to somehow mask the proportions of the car, and it is only when you are standing right next to it that you realize that this is a 5.2 metre-long car. The fact that it is built around an extremely aerodynamic shape with none of the usual constraints that you’d have for an ICE car means that there are no sharp cuts or creases anywhere on this Mercedes-Benz. It is one seamless mass that’s adorned by a blacked-out grille that screams Mercedes with a healthy smattering of small three-pointed stars apart from the big one bang in the middle.
Then there is the bumper which is not as aggressive as on the AMG variant. The wheels too, in an effort to make it more comfortable for the passengers, are 20-inches unlike the 21-inches on the AMG. Towards the sides, the pop-out door handles do their bit to help with aerodynamics and add a touch of drama. Moving on to the rear, the wrap around taillamps are connected by a chunky light bar and come together neatly with what is a fuss-free rear bumper design. The boot almost feels like a hatchback because of how it opens up and the sheer amount of space inside (610 litres).
Swipe your finger across the door handle and it pops out smartly for you to open the door and move to the inside. The biggest talking point is the 56-inch MBUX Hyperscreen that takes up almost all the space on the dash. It is a misnomer though. The Hyperscreen is actually three separate displays on the enormous glass panel – one for the driver, one for infotainment and one for the co-passenger as well. More than the sheer size, to me, it is how well it is put together and how easy it ends up being to use that really stand out. Mercedes-Benz has what it likes to call a zero-layer menu which makes getting to the most important features and settings supremely easy.
As soon as you settle yourself into the supremely comfortable seats with the cloud-like pillows for the headrest, you’d notice that Mercedes-Benz has spared no effort in making the overall driving experience stress free. As you login (yes, you can login to the car to access all your saved settings and preferences), with face, voice or fingerprint recognition, the car sets the seat according to your height and the mirrors are adjusted by you just looking at them.
As you get going, you will realize how effortless using the MBUX Hyperscreen is. There is just so much screen real estate that you rarely have to dig through menus to find something. And the fidelity and overall quality of the displays are just otherworldly, something I have not seen in another automobile. Every touch, tap and swipe gets a response with negligible latency. Not just that, the sheer computing power that’s at the disposal of the MBUX system means that it makes recommendations based on previous inputs and patterns. For instance, if you tend to call a friend or loved one at the same time every day, it will offer that as a recommendation when you are in the car. Or for that matter, if you tend to use a particular massage function frequently, it will offer that up after a long work day.
As you start moving, you realize just how quiet the EQS really is. The cabin is superbly insulated and very little of the outside world makes its presence felt inside. The quality of materials in the cabin are at par with the S-Class’ and the car cocoons you like few others can. The leather wrapped steering wheel is chunky and great to hold with trackpad controls for the infotainment and the instrument cluster. The front seats are ventilated and heated with massage functions at your disposal as well. The cabin is very spacious with loads of legroom for the seats in the back. The lack of a transmission tunnel definitely helps with this and the overall sense of space is amplified further with the twin sunroofs in the EQS 580. Passengers in the back have access to a tablet in the centre armrest to access the infotainment and climate control.
As you pick up speeds, you come to terms with the amount of performance on tap. With 523PS of power and 855Nm of torque being sent to the motors (one powering each axle), the EQS 580 makes light work of anything you demand from it. Unlike most EVs, it is not just quick in a 0-100kmph sprint, but overtaking slow moving vehicles is also supremely easy and you will rarely have to extend your right leg all the way to the floor. Such is the relentless delivery of power and torque. The EQS 580 has enough and more to keep you pinned to your seat.
Even though the performance on hand is incredible, it is the ride and handling that really shine through. The EQS 580 comes equipped with air suspension as standard. That means that it soaks up everything you throw its way with ease. And it does so with a luxurious quality to it that’s hard to describe. Unlike some other luxury cars, it doesn’t go about it in a manner where the undulations aren’t felt anymore. Instead, it takes the edge off the sharpest of bumps while still retaining some underlying firmness to help in the handling department. And talking of bumps, if you come across a particularly nasty speed breaker, you can raise the height of the car by 15mm to sail over it (the car will even remember the GPS location for the next time you are faced with the same speed breaker and will raise the ride height on its own).
The very well weighted steering wheel is very accurate and even though it isn’t very communicative, the EQS 580 is very easy to place on the road. This is aided by how nimble this 2.5-ton plus car is. There is very little hesitancy when it comes to quick direction changes and the chassis and the suspension do their bit in keeping the car planted at seriously high speeds. The tyres too offer loads of grip and it is indeed astonishing how much there is to offer. The limits of mechanical grip are far beyond what can be safely exploited on public roads. It is safe to say that the EQS 580 will not disappoint even the most demanding customers when it comes to the ride and handling department.
There are levels of regeneration that you can control with the paddles with the strongest one making a case for one-pedal driving. You can easily drive around the city with minimal effort thanks to the regenerative braking after a long day at the office. But that said, as with most EVs, the brake pedal does suffer from a lack of feedback and overall wooden feel. The bite at the very top of the pedal travel is very little but it builds up progressively as you go further. To be fair, there is enough stopping power and more, but the brake pedal, at least initially, gives the impression that there isn’t. The sheer weight of the car also adds to this. What you would have absolutely no complaints about while driving around in the city is the very small turning radius. Mercedes-Benz is offering the first 500 buyers complimentary rear-wheel steering on their EQS 580. This makes the EQS 580 feel more like a compact sedan than a 5.2-meter-long luxury car, making it very easy to drive and park in the city. It improves agility at higher speeds too.
Finally, we come to the range. Quite unusual for a review of an EV, but the EQS 580 has the highest rated range of any EV in the country. In the real world, even with some very spirited driving, the computer onboard indicated a comfortable 600+km on a full charge, which is truly mind boggling. Yes, it is a huge battery pack, and will take longer to charge at our slow public chargers, but Mercedes-Benz promises to install faster chargers at important highway stops and Mercedes-Benz dealerships. And for the most part, you’d be charging the EQS at home.
Objectively, the EQS 580 is simply exceptional as an automobile. As a car, it is probably the most important one for the company in quite some time. And understandably so. With the gradual switch to EVs, Mercedes-Benz had to do their very best to stay in contention with the other EV marquees that are out there. It has to be said that Mercedes-Benz have achieved what they set out to do with the EQS. It is as luxurious as you’d expect the electric alternative to the S-Class to be. It is packed to the gills with technology and creature comforts and, perhaps most importantly, it alleviates any concerns you’d have around range while delivering incredible performance. All of this, at a price that undercuts the S-Class – Rs. 1.55 crore (ex-showroom). Well done, Mercedes.
