Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Review

26 August 2022

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ is essentially an all-electric Mercedes S-Class, with an official electric driving range of up to 453 miles.

This is a review for the Mercedes-Benz EQS

Long driving range

Very comfortable driving experience

Refined performance

Spacious

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Design & Powertrain

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ features a very large 107.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is responsible for giving the EQS such a long driving range. The EQS 450+ has one electric motor producing 333 hp which sits at the rear axle, giving rear-wheel drive.

Another reason behind the impressive range of the EQS is the car’s aerodynamic shape, and the very long 5,216 mm body also helps with its slippery qualities. Unlike an S-Class, the EQS has a hatchback rather than a boot, which gives access to a large 610 litres of luggage space.

There’s lots of legroom for rear-seat passengers, helped by the flat floor. The interior is as upmarket as you would expect from a top of the range Mercedes.

What's the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ like to drive?

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ is an extremely comfortable, quiet, refined and effortless way to cover lots of motorway miles. AIRMATIC air suspension with adaptive damping helps to ensure the comfort, and high levels of insulated glass help to keep out external noises. The electric powertrain is a major contributor to the levels of refinement, and the 333 hp of power and the 568 Nm of torque deliver the effortless performance.

The length of the car is a further reason for the excellent ride quality, but the size of the car and the size of the battery result in a hefty curb weight of 2.5 tonnes, which means that the EQS can’t be described as agile in handling terms.

However, it’s surprisingly maneuverable and the reason for this is that the EQS has rear-wheel steering to assist the front-wheel steering. So if you’re driving it around town you’ll be able to turn through sharp corners and negotiate tight parking spaces much more easily than you would expect from a car of this size.

The EQS has three drive modes, Eco, Comfort, and Sport, and you can adjust the amount of regenerative braking by using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.

The EQS features a futuristic ambient background noise, which builds up in intensity when accelerating.

The dashboard of the EQS has a large 12.8-inch central media display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display (and there’s a head-up display). If these screens aren’t large enough, then you can opt for the MBUX Hyperscreen which stretches the entire width of the dashboard, and costs £7,995. The interior of the EQS features ambient lighting, with a choice of 64 colors.

Charging the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ has a WLTP combined range of 407-453 miles. The real-world range is likely to be around 380-410 miles.

The EQS can also ultra-rapid charge at up to 200 kW DC, allowing it to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes, which is enough to deliver an extra 186 miles of range in just 15 minutes. There’s also an onboard 11 kW AC charger to benefit from three-phase charging, which is usually found at workplaces in the UK. Charging time from 10-100% with a 400 V/16 A wall box is 10 hours.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ price and model range

The EQS 450+ trim levels are AMG Line (£102,160); AMG Line Premium (costing an extra £7,000); AMG Line Premium Plus or EQS 450+ Luxury (both costing an additional £7,000). Exclusive Luxury trim costs an extra £7,000 over Luxury-spec vehicles. The optional Rear Luxury Lounge package (£3,995) is also available on the Exclusive Luxury model line and includes electrically adjustable rear seats with massage functions.

There’s also the option of having a screen stretching across the entire width of the dashboard; the MBUX Hyperscreen is over 141 centimetres wide and is available on AMG Line Premium models and above, and costs £7,995.

There’s also the all-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ with 658 hp/490 kW and an electric range of 336 - 358 miles – from £157,160.

Conclusion

The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ is a very successful application of electrification to the Mercedes S-Class concept. The result is a car with a very long range, high levels of comfort, very good performance, and lots of space. The main downside is the price, at £100,000+. But the EQS shows that you can now buy an excellent all-electric luxury car, and that Mercedes is now taking electric cars seriously.