Mercedes-Benz unveils the new EQS

Mercedes-Benz has given the EQS - its first all-electric luxury sedan - a facelift, with more than a quarter of the vehicle's components having now been newly developed, revised, and refined.

The EQS now has a new, next gen electric architecture. This includes 800V tech, new drive units developed in-house, a two-speed transmission on the main drive at the rear axle, and larger batteries with optimised cell chemistry. This also extends its range, with the EQS 450+ now offering a WLTP range of up to 926km. Mercedes-Benz has also introduced the new entry-level EQS 400, which offers a power output of 270kW and a 112kWh battery.

The EQS will feature a new, next gen electric architecture

The EQS is also able to achieve a charging capacity of up to 350kW, allowing for up to 320km of range to be recharged in just 10 minutes.

It also gets a new Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) that integrates and controls every aspect of the vehicle, as well as enabling over-the-air updates for the entire vehicle software.

Inside, updated features include innovative heated front seats, new "open-pore fine lines anthracite poplar wood" trim elements, and the exclusive Nappa leather package, which incorporates the laurel motif of the Mercedes-Benz emblem with its iconic laurel stitching in the door panels.

The exclusive Nappa leather package incorporates the laurel motif of the Mercedes-Benz emblem with stitching in the door panels

In addition, the new batteries in the EQS 450+, EQS 500 4MATIC, and EQS 580 4MATIC have more energy content (122kWh as compared to 118kWh previously), despite having the same dimensions. This is because the battery cells feature anodes in which silicon oxide is added to the graphite, resulting in more energy per kilogram.

Mercedes-Benz will also be the first German automaker to offer a production passenger car (namely, the EQS) with steer-by-wire tech. This offers numerous advantages that benefit the drive experience, with easier manoeuvring and parking, as well as unwanted vibrations caused by uneven road surfaces that were previously transmitted to the driver via the steering wheel.

The new EQS is also equipped with 10 external cameras, up to five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, supplying data that MB.OS processes in real time to assess the current traffic situation. This all falls under the MB.Drive Standard, which is equipped as standard on European models and also offers other enhanced assistance functions such as Steering Assist and Lane Change Assist.

The MBUX Hyperscreen allows front passengers to view dynamic content on their own display

And as the first Mercedes-Benz model back then to feature the MBUX Hyperscreen, the update now sees the most important information and recommendations displayed on the configurable footbar of the further developed MBUX Zero Layer.

The front passenger can also now view dynamic content on their own display while the vehicle is in motion, control the content via the touchscreen, and listen to the audio through Bluetooth headphones or the vehicle's speakers. And for safety reasons, a camera-based system monitors the driver and automatically hides the moving content if the driver looks at the passenger display.

The new EQS can also be locked, unlocked, and started particularly conveniently using the digital key. It will lock and unlock automatically as the user approaches or moves away from the car with their mobile phone, depending on market availability. This function can be deactivated via the head unit if desired. The digital key works with most iPhones and Android devices.