The new Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ isn't just Mercedes-first Benz's electric car, and this electric drive isn't just a glimpse at the all-new electrified S-Class - though both would be enough to get you excited.
It's also a first punch of the technology that will design all future Mercedes electric cars from here on out, as has long been the case with the brand's flagship - meaning any potential Mercedes customer should be inspired to read on. It's also the first opportunity to try the new Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ in the UK, despite the fact that it's still in prototype form and far too early to have a whole pricing list.
As a result, we're paying more attention to see if the early 4.5-star rating from our previous trial was warranted or fair, rather than trying to figure out if the final half-star is conceivable. Any chance of receiving the highest honor will have to wait until next month when more thorough testing and complete spec information are released.
Forget your preconceptions: whatever you expect from the photos, your eyes will be on stalks not long after you stroll up to the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+, pause as the door automatically opens upon detecting your approach, and your bum hits the delightfully - and sufficiently - sumptuous seat.
Is it true? It's the Hyperscreen, a three-in-one digital display that arcs across the dashboard in place of two regular (but still large) screens, measuring 141cm from left to right. If a car's wow factor is important to you, consider the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ electric vehicle. Captain Kirk, on the other hand, would undoubtedly pass out from the thrill.
However, there is important yang to the ying caused by its pure size, beloved. At a standstill, we found that using Mercedes' astonishingly reasonable voice control was preferable to using our fingers, both to prevent taking your eyes off the road and to avoid leaving evidence of your hit-and-miss efforts. Without a doubt, the experience would be beneficial. Furthermore, even on the gloomiest of days, there were enough diverting reflections to cause us to pause and long for simpler times.
As a result, the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+'s lasting impression of the actual thing is simply how capable it is on the road. Even in this lower-powered incarnation, it boasts incredible speed, impressive stability, and control despite its near 2.5-tonne weight and a mind-boggling, if likely little ambitious, official range of 484 miles, aided by its slippery shape – supposedly the most aerodynamic ever seen on a production car. A quick charge of 10 to 80 percent can be completed in as little as 30 minutes, whereas a standard 50kW charger will take roughly an hour and a half.
All of this is delivered in complete silence, with the exception of some wind noise at higher speeds, and in supreme comfort (the supportive, massaging seats and loads of space all around stand out). It's also incredibly quick, thanks to rear-wheel steering, which improves agility at low speeds while simultaneously increasing endurance at higher speeds. It's immersive and seductively delightful in this way.
Despite this, the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ electric car is unable to truly challenge physics. While the direct, impressively handle some steering helps to hide this big car's dimensions, and the body control is superb on all but the most pockmarked roads, some of the UK's more significant, more repetitive bumps can't be flattened, and the tires run out of grip a little sooner than in a regular S-Class if you enter a turn or roundabout too eagerly.
