Mr.Talha Posted August 17, 2021 Posted August 17, 2021 The EQS isn’t just Mercedes-Benz's first all-in, no-holds-barred EV, and this drive isn’t just a first look at the all-new electrified S-Class - although both would be reason enough to be excited. It's also, as has long been the case with the brand's flagship, a first taste of the technology that will shape all future Mercedes from here on in - meaning every prospective customer of the brand for the future should be excited to read on. It’s also our first chance to test this car in the UK, albeit still in a late prototype form, and too early even to have a definitive price list to hand. As such, we’re looking more to verify whether the early 4.5-star rating from our previous test was justified or generous, rather than seeking to discover if that last half star is available. Any hope of that ultimate accolade will have to wait until more extensive testing and full specification details are released next month. Suspend your prejudices for a moment: whatever you expect from the photos, trust me, your eyes will be on stalks not long after you stride up to the EQS, pause as its door automatically pops open upon sensing your approach and your bum hits the gloriously - and appropriately - luxurious seat. Is. That. For. Real? Measuring 141cm from left to right, it’s the Hyperscreen, an optional three-in-one display that arcs across the dashboard in place of two standard (but still large) screens. If wow factor is your defining requirement of a car, buy this one. Captain Kirk would pass out from all the excitement. But, alas, there is a crucial yang to the ying delivered by its sheer scale. While it's relatively intuitive to use at a standstill, we found it better to use Mercedes’ impressively effective voice control than our fingers, both to avoid taking your eyes off the road and to avoid leaving greasy evidence of your hit and miss efforts. Experience would no doubt help. What's more, even on this greyest of days, there were also enough occasionally distracting reflections to make us pause to yearn for simpler times. So it is that the abiding impression of real substance left by the EQS is instead just how capable it is on the road. It has prodigious pace, even in this lower-powered form, delivers impressive poise and control, despite its near 2.5-tonne weight, and has a mind-boggling, if likely slightly optimistic, official 484 miles of range, boosted by its slippery shape – reputedly the most aerodynamic ever to feature on a production car. A 10-80% rapid charge can be done in as little as 30 minutes, although a more common 50kW charger will take about an hour-and-a-half.
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