Mercedes Benz is one of the oldest manufacturers and has been building automobiles for almost a century. During this time, you could say they’ve put out millions of petrol vehicles, and perhaps that could be too heavy on their karma. So to balance things out, Mercedes Benz has finally decided to lead the charge with their first EV based entirely on EV architecture. The EQC was their first-ever mass-produced EV based on Mercedes’ EVA 1 architecture. Though it was an impressive car, it certainly had limitations due to its recycled architecture. Fast forward, and they’ve moved things over to their all-new EVA 2 architecture built exclusively for an EV.
This allows for better space management and a manufacturer to be much more creative with the interior and exterior design. What adds to the overall excitement is that the EQS 580 is the first luxury EV to be made in India! Not only does this make it a leap for Mercedes Benz but also a leap for India and the kind of automobiles we can have access to. So without any further adieu, let’s go over this technological marvel and just what it brings to the fold.
Should you buy one?
The Mercedes Benz EQS 580 isn’t exactly the most affordable EV, but it most certainly is the pinnacle of what a luxury EV can be. It’s got a tremendous amount of tech, breathtaking performance and handsome looks. This combined makes it a desirable package, and it still manages to undercut its rivals, Audi and Porsche. Additionally, it gets a 2-year or 30,000 km interval between each service, and Mercedes Benz offers an 8-year unlimited km warranty, which only further sweetens the deal.
My only gripes with the EQS are that its relatively low ground clearance can make it a bit challenging to drive on our roads. The AC blower, too, is rather loud and can disturb the silence in the cabin quite easily. Also, the lack of customizability can be a bit of a letdown for anyone who likes to be more flamboyant with their spec. That being said, if you can look past these little downsides, you have a great package on your hands, and I, for one, think this is an excellent product from Mercedes Benz and will give its competition a run for their money.
What is it like to drive?
The EQS 580 has the biggest battery in its segment and powers all four wheels. Right from the get-go, it feels energetic and won’t pin you into your seat with ease. The force from its acceleration cannot be described in words, and it’s something one must genuinely experience. It’s almost as if someone shoves you back into your seat, and it’s an addictive feeling once you start driving the EQS. Mercedes Benz claims it’ll do 0-100 km/hr in just 4.3 seconds! Remember when you’d have to pay upwards of 3 Crore to get access to this sorta performance? This sedan could easily smoke an Aston Martin or a Maserati and probably even outdo them in range! Mercedes Benz claims a range of about 855 kms, but I’d reckon you can squeeze out over 500 kms even if you were driving like a maniac.
The EQS 580 weighs quite a bit, and you only begin to notice its heft once you push it around corners. The tires start squealing in protest, and driving this car on edge can be unnerving. Especially since the brakes feel entirely wooden and don’t have the best bite when you decide to drop anchor. The suspension works quite well and allows you to raise the height by 15 mm if you want to overcome any obstacles. However, 15 mm isn’t sufficient in most cases and given the relatively low ground clearance, it’s pretty easy to scrape the bottom of the car. Even though it’s made in India, it’s not entirely made for India, which you’d need to be mindful of. The steering wheel has pretty good feedback, and thanks to the rear axle steering, manoeuvring this long car feels like a piece of cake. Unfortunately, the rear axle steering doesn’t come standard and is only offered complimentary to the first 500 customers who purchase the EQS.
Step inside the EQS 580, and you’ll notice its tech and luxury overloaded. It has a beautiful 12.3-inch driver display and a 17.7-inch centre console, and even the passenger now has a 12.3-inch display. All three displays are OLEDs and are protected with gorilla glass. Combined, these are about 56-inches in size and part of Mercedes Benz’ MBUX Hyperscreen, as they call it. It’s supposed to be intuitive, easy to use, and help the driver stay focused. Having so many screens is quite distracting, and Mercedes has added a feature that detects where your eyes are looking and will automatically dim the passenger display if you’re looking towards it while driving. This system works so well that it can even adjust the mirrors based on your line of sight and knows when you’re looking at the passenger side ORVM or if you’re looking at their screen.
Additionally, Mercedes has given the EQS 580 a voice, face and fingerprint scanner that makes accessibility a lot easier when logging into your individual profile. There are up to seven different users, and each user profile can be customized by adjusting up to 800 other parameters for each user. The EQS gets a 15-speaker Burmester audio system with a total output of 710 W. Though this may not seem like a lot in a cabin as well insulated as this one, it’s quite a treat to your ears, and you’ll definitely enjoy banging your favourite tunes in this car.
The backseat of the EQS is quite a comfortable place to be. It has more than sufficient room for your limbs and allows you to adjust the recline further if you like. Mercedes Benz has integrated a small tablet inside the armrest for accessibility, but I enjoyed using the phone app that allows you to control everything you can from the tablet. In terms of charging, Mercedes Benz has given the EQS up to 8 type-C charging ports and two wireless charging slots to keep your devices juiced up and ready to go.
The EQS 580 has somewhat polarizing looks; it’s a love-it-or-hate-it design, and I, for one, quite like it. The EQS 580 is long, broad and low in its stance and has some really cool design elements implemented. Take, for example, the beautiful LED headlamps that house three powerful LEDs with up to 1.3 million micro-mirrors for reflection. This allows the lights to be better controlled, and like with most matrix headlamps, they can turn off individual parts of the beam to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic. It’s got a long strip of LED that connects both headlamps and makes the overall design appear a lot more futuristic. It’s got a black grille with little stars that reflect light and look quite stunning, especially at night. The hood seamlessly folds over the front fenders and looks stunning once you notice it. The EQS 580 follows Mercedes’ one-bow design and looks gorgeous with its coupe-like roofline. This makes the EQS look gangster and the world’s most aerodynamic production car with a drag coefficient of just 0.20. Even the door handles sit flush into the car and only pop out when needed, making them quite stylish and purposeful.
Come over to the rear, and its curvy boot is quite eye-catching. I especially like what Mercedes Benz has done with the tail lamp, and it added more depth to the conventional 2D taillamps we were used to seeing. The EQS 580 got a lot of attention and thumbs-ups from onlookers, and it definitely feels like you’re driving something exotic out on the road. This feels like the modern/electric rendition of a Mercedes Benz CLS, and we all know what a handsome car that was. Its overall stance doesn’t look like a luxury car and looks sporty. I wish Mercedes Benz gave you more vibrant colours to go with this rather ambitious design because, as it stands, it gets the same old white, black, three shades of grey and a rather dull looking blue. Though the EQS looks excellent here in white, I feel it’s more of a testament to the design than the colour.
Electric Motor – Two Permanently Excited Synchronous Motors (PSM)
Battery Capacity – 107.8 kWh
Max Output – 385 kW / 516 bhp
Torque – 855 Nm
Claimed 0-100 km/hr – 4.3 Seconds
Kerb Weight – 2585 kg
Top Speed – 210 km/hr
Claimed Range – 855 km
Price – Rs. 1.55 Cr
