Mercedes-Benz fans are gearing up for a new entry in its all-electric EQ series, after the German carmaker unveiled a concept form of an EV version of the S-Class saloon.
The concept, called the Vision EQS, debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week and is being been hailed as a “trailblazer for the entire Mercedes-Benz EQ family” - which according to Top Gear, means “it does for Merc’s electric range what the S-Class has traditionally done for, well, almost the whole car industry”.
With other carmakers including Jaguar looking to electrify their saloon range, the EQS’ unveiling is “further proof that the luxury car market as a whole is going silent”, the motoring magazine claims.
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Although it’s rare for futuristic concepts like the Vision EQS to make their way into production, a number of development cars that look almost identical to the electric S-Class have been spotted testing on German roads. And that indicates it may not be long before a production version of the EQS appears.
Here are other key details about the EV that have emerged in Frankfurt and beyond:
Price and release
At £76,540, the combustion-engined S-Class is one of the more expensive models in the Mercedes range.
And given that electric cars tend to carry a considerable premium over their petrol-powered counterparts, expect the EQS to cost close to - if not exceed - the £100,000 mark.
The new model expected to reach showrooms in 2021, says Autocar.
Design and interior
As fans might expect from a Mercedes concept cars, the Vision EQS looks like nothing else on sale today.
The front bumper houses 188 individual LEDs, allowing for “near-limitless lighting animations”, says Auto Express. On either side of the illuminated panel are two “holographic-lens headlamps” that form part of a light belt that runs around the entire car.
Meanwhile, the two-tone paint may be a nod to the company’s Maybach models, which rival the likes of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Mulsanne, adding to the EQS’ luxurious look.
Car magazine describes the car’s cabin as “yacht-like”, an effect credited to the “huge bow line” that runs along the width of the car and the “sloping, lined dashboard veneer”.
The magazine reports that the “angled central screen” in the centre console is expected to be carried over to the next-generation S-Class, with a similar system spotted inside Mercedes’ fleet of pre-production test cars.
Battery range and performance
According to Autocar, the EQS will be built on the German carmaker’s new MEA production platform, which is capable of housing a battery system of up to 100kWh.
The saloon’s saloon’s lithium-ion battery, sourced from sister company Accumotive, is reportedly capable of powering the car for 435 miles on a single charge - 158 miles more than the company’s current EQC crossover and 70 miles more than its future rival, the Tesla Model S.
The battery pack is connected to two electric motors, one on each axle, that deliver a combined power output of 470bhp and 560lb-ft of torque, Evo reports. That’s enough to send the EV from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, before reaching its maximum speed of “around 125mph,” the site adds.
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