With tantalising tech, including a sci-fi Hyperscreen display, and superb range, the Mercedes-Benz EQS looks and feels like the new face of luxury electric vehicles
Luxury car makers, however, have an advantage. Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce have spent well over a century refining the explosive process of internal combustion into a silky-smooth operation that is barely perceptible to drivers, passengers, or even passers-by. Emissions, however, have remained stubbornly perceptible, despite increasingly intense attempts at mitigation.
By waiting until EV technology is sufficiently advanced to offer superb range , the EQS banishes the very un-luxurious spectre of range anxiety.Instead of worrying about finding the next charge point, driving the EQS gives you other things to think about, with a science fiction-style dashboard that spans the entire width of the car. This is Mercedes’ ‘Hyperscreen’, the evolution of the flatscreen instrument panel taken to its logical conclusion.
On the highway, this is great. Regardless of traffic levels, speed, or weather, the EQS will glide along all by itself, checking periodically that you’re still paying attention. It is not autonomy, just a very sophisticated form of cruise control. The confidence it inspires is important, because it allows you to actually find the right spot to press on the vast screen, rather than constantly shift your attention between road and screen.