Since the pure electric vehicle began to grow in a spurt, there are not a few models that flaunt their "luxury" and "flagship". However, when Mercedes-Benz enters and unveils the new EQS, a large luxury pure electric sedan equivalent to the S-class, I think other brands need to calm down and think about it when they want to label themselves.
Based on the Mercedes-EQ Large Electric Vehicle Architecture (EVA), Mercedes-Benz's new EQS is the industry's first large luxury pure electric sedan. From the four dimensions of design luxury, technology luxury, digital luxury and electric luxury, it redefined the pioneer luxury in the new era of electrification, and launched four models with two power versions in the early stage, priced at 1.0796-1.5186 million yuan.
Today we got one of the first models of the new EQS family to be launched, the EQS 450+, a "pure electric S-class" with a single-motor rear drive and a maximum range of 849km under CLTC conditions.
Design keywords: avant-garde, bow, star emblem
Mercedes-Benz's new EQS is somewhat different from the pure electric sedan we have seen before, which adopts a "bow design" from the front of the car to the rear of the car, so the front face as a whole is curved downward, and the elements of the headlight group and the front grille are lower than the visual position of other cars.
The new EQS 450+ in front of us uses a sports kit, and the new car will also launch the AMG series of models in the future, which will be more ferocious in shape.
The large area of the fully enclosed grille is connected with the sharp LED headlight group on both sides, the grille is made of bright black material, and the sports version of the three-pointed star sign is designed with a ripple diffusion style "star emblem" decoration on both sides, and the details are full.
The new EQS in the lighting section uses the popular ring light strip, and the headlight group has added a "three-bar" decoration representing the Mercedes-Benz S-class, and the number of bars on the future EQ family E-class and C-class cars has decreased in turn.
The sense of technology in the headlight group is also of the S-level level. This set of all-LED light source meteor shower headlights, each side of the headlights have 1.3 million micro-lenses, lighting pixels of more than 2.6 million pixels, can achieve intelligent beam control, dynamic lighting effects and so on.
In addition, there are a number of sensors for driving assistance functions in the front of the vehicle, including a front-facing binocular HIGH-definition camera, a front millimeter-wave radar, and an ultrasonic radar.
Depending on the model, The new Mercedes-Benz EQS vehicle may be equipped with up to 350 different sensors. There are mainly 1 lidar (equipped in the future), 1 long-range millimeter-wave radar, 4 angle radars, 12 ultrasonic radars, 4 panoramic cameras and so on.
The "bow design" of the new EQS can be more clearly seen from the side, which can optimize the space of the interior members through the forward pure electric platform, and at the same time reduce the wind resistance coefficient. Its wind resistance coefficient of 0.20 is currently the lowest in the world's mass production models.
In terms of size, the new EQS 450+ has a length, width and height of 5227/1926/1512mm, a wheelbase of 3210mm, and a proper size that is S-class.
In order to enhance the overall sense and reduce the wind resistance, Mercedes-Benz's new EQS can not avoid the use of hidden electric door handles, but the big guy shot natural effect is extraordinary. Whether in terms of texture, feel or lighting effect, this electric door handle is the best I've seen so far, not one of them.
Especially when the surround light is lit at night, the hidden "Mercedes-Benz" is illuminated, and the satisfaction is in this moment.
Mercedes-Benz's new EQS series comes standard with a battery pack with a total energy of 111.8 kWh, with a maximum charging power of 145 kW at the current 400V (396V) voltage platform. The charging time of the DC Fast Charge 10-80% SOC is as fast as 37 minutes.
In terms of tires, the positioning of the new EQS 450+ is generally comfortable, and the two-color wide five-spoke rim style is more formal and the coverage is also larger. The tires were made from Goodyear's EAGLE F1 Series Mercedes-Benz custom tires with a specification of 255/45 R20, without the pursuit of a more dynamic low flat ratio and large rim style.
The rear of Mercedes-Benz's new EQS also implements the "bow design" language, and the tail of the big slipback looks extremely smooth. At the same time, the design of the tail is very full, the transverse taillights further widen the horizontal visual effect, and the details of the duckling tail add a lot of movement.
The spiral light source on both sides of the tail lamp, inspired by the tungsten filament of incandescent lamps, is highly recognizable at night.
Interior keywords: embrace, MBUX, three giant screens
The interior of our new Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ is equipped with a one-piece triple screen played by the new owner, which is composed of a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument, a 17.7-inch central control screen and a 12.3-inch co-pilot entertainment screen, forming a curved screen belt with a width of 1.41 meters. The overall surface of the screen is a 2mm thick Corning Gorilla curved glass, and the three-layer coating process can prevent corrosion, reflective light, and scratches.
As for the interior design, it is not separated from the current design concept of Mercedes-Benz sedan, the overall use of surround design, exquisite turbofan engine style air conditioning air outlet, seat adjustment on the door panel, pocket gear and very refreshing center console are classic Mercedes-Benz elements.
The steering wheel style is closer to the latest S-class, and the feel is not to be said. The multi-function buttons on both sides adopt a virtual touch design, which can be operated by pressing, sliding, etc.
The full LCD instrument display is very delicate, with a resolution of 210 ppi. In addition to the traditional double circle "classic style", it also provides "sport mode", "map mode" and "assisted driving" mode that breaks through the traditional instrument style, and the digitalization and technological sense are further enhanced.
The large central control screen has a resolution of 201 ppi, built-in NVIDIA Xavier 8-core chip, with 24GB of storage space and 46.4GB of memory bandwidth. The actual operation fluency is very good, the application expansion ability is also more prominent in the joint venture brand, and some commonly used information and entertainment APP are built-in.
It is worth mentioning that this MBUX car machine system on Mercedes-Benz's new EQS adopts the first "zero-level interface", the most core navigation function is always in the front screen position, and the function menu is designed for exhaling suspension, which is more humane in experience. Moreover, the new EQS, as a forward pure electric vehicle, supports the late OTA upgrade of the whole vehicle, covering the upgrading of entertainment systems, driving control, battery management and other aspects of software.
The multiple sensors of the vehicle mentioned above can provide a wealth of intelligent driving assistance functions for Mercedes-Benz's new EQS. Including active stop-and-go assist system, intelligent pilot steering function, active brake assist system, avoidance steering assist system, active blind spot assist system, etc. Among them, two of the more interesting functions are:
Intelligent pilot distance limit function: When the intelligent pilot steering function is activated, the vehicle reminds the driver to take over the steering wheel, and the driver only needs to touch the capacitive induction steering wheel without turning the steering wheel.
Active Lane Keeping Assist System: When unconsciously pressing onto a solid line, the wheels on the side away from the solid line complete the calibration of the driving trajectory through unilateral braking, and the safety and comfort are greatly improved.
However, due to regulatory constraints, Mercedes-Benz has only opened L2-level related functions on new cars, and the EQS equipped with L3-level assisted driving in Germany has been on the road.
The screen resolution in front of the co-pilot is also as high as 210 ppi, in addition to the same access to the main menu for some functional settings, it can also help the main driver to navigate the destination settings, as well as their own exclusive audio and video entertainment functions.
The large central control function area on the traditional Mercedes-Benz fuel sedan has been extremely compressed on the new EQS. The start button, driving mode selection, panoramic image switch and entertainment function control are all in a small rectangular box, but the design and aesthetics are still very good, and people who are not familiar with this start button may need to find it for a while.
After opening the front cover, the contents are rich, including a storage slot, two cup holders, two Type-C interfaces, and a deep hidden wireless charging location for mobile phones.
The new car uses frameless doors, which is still relatively rare in D-class luxury cars, and it is a test of sound insulation. The door interior panels are made of NEOTEX materials, solid wood trim panels, leather and other materials, and the sense of grade is very in place.
Our new EQS 450+ Pioneer Edition is an entry-level model, and although the pure black horn cover also has the Berlin Voice logo, it is obviously more average in number and power. The new high-end version of the new EQS will be equipped with the top Berlin Sound audio, with 15 speakers and 710W of power.
In addition to providing entertainment sound, Sound Of Berlin also provides EV-exclusive analog sound wave effects on the new EQS, which are currently available in "Silver Sound Wave" and "Smart Flow", and can be updated with more sound effects in the later stage.
The new EQS 450+ seats are made from Nappa leather with actively inflatable cushions that provide heating and hot stone massage. The front seats are well wrapped, soft and comfortable, and the electric leg rest can better adapt to users of different sizes.
Thanks to the extra-long wheelbase, the new EQS has plenty of rear space and the rear passengers are well placed. Dual Type-C interfaces, cup holders, wireless charging central armrests and adjustable headrests, etc., long-distance travel comfort is very guaranteed.
However, under the premise of abundant space, the rear seat cushion of the new EQS is actually a little short, and the support for the thighs is not very good.
But one thing, the new EQS is definitely one of the best of any production sedan right now, namely trunk space. The moment you open its electric tailgate, it's like a hippopotamus opening its mouth in front of you, feeling like it can easily stuff countless things in!
The hatchback tailgate opening brought about by the slip-back design is huge, the height of the rear is at least 1.5 meters, and the longitudinal space in the tail box is close to 1.3 meters, which is extremely considerable and the practicality is greatly improved.
Driving keywords: reliable, agile, high return rate
In terms of power, Mercedes-Benz's new EQS currently has two different power equipment. Our test drive of the new EQS 450+ features a single rear permanent magnet synchronous motor with a maximum power of 245 kW (333 hp), a maximum torque of 568 Nm and an official acceleration time of 0-100 km/h of 6.2 seconds.
The new EQS 580 4MATIC with higher configuration is equipped with dual motors front and rear, which can realize intelligent and timely electric four-wheel drive. The motor has a maximum power of 380 kW (516 hp), a maximum torque of 855 Nm, and zero hundred acceleration time in just 4.4 seconds.
The suspension part of the new car adopts the front four links + rear multi-link independent suspension, and the whole series is equipped with air suspension. The adaptive damping system can adjust the softness and feedback according to the road conditions, and suppress excess vibration into the car.
In addition, the air suspension of Mercedes-Benz's new EQS automatically drops by 20mm at speeds exceeding 120km/h, and returns to normal height when the speed is below 80km/h. In addition, when the speed is lower than 40km/h, the body can be set to raise by 25mm and return to normal when it exceeds 50km/h.
Mercedes-Benz's new EQS family is equipped with a ternary lithium battery with a total energy of 111.8 kWh, the battery cell uses a high nickel 811 ratio, and the battery pack weight is 692 kg (EQS 450 + kerb quality 2530 kg, EQS 580 ker quality 2690 kg).
The battery provides a range of up to 849km in CLTC conditions for the new EQS 450+, compared to 720km on the new EQS 580 4MATIC. The battery pack is equipped with a self-developed thermal management system developed by Mercedes-Benz, and the brighter function is that the excess energy heated by the battery pack can be used to heat the cockpit and save electricity consumption.
The new EQS 450+ is not much different from the mainstream Mercedes-Benz sedan in some of the conventional operations it drives, with a pocket-mounted electronic gear lever that activates autoHold by slamping on the brakes and adjusting common driving modes such as Comfort, Eco and Sport. Of course, the new car also has more innovation.
For example, the new EQS 450+ offers two new modes in addition to the above driving modes, including Caring Mode and Valet Mode, the former of which limits motor power and torque in certain states such as starting and approaching tire limits, making it safer for newcomers to electric vehicles to drive. The latter will impose some functional restrictions on non-owner driving.
Due to the unique output characteristics of the motor, the rear 245kW single motor drives this 2.5-ton big guy is still relatively light, and the C mode can start a little deeper and can quickly grab the first place. However, this set of power can only be said to be just right, enough, not abundant, presumably EQS 580 4MATIC dual motors will be more refreshing to open.
At the same time, due to the lack of a conventional transmission, the entire acceleration process of the new EQS 450+ is quite smooth, and the speed of the car is already approaching the speed limit under very quiet premise. The paddle shifter behind the steering wheel can adjust the energy recovery intensity of the vehicle at any time, with four modes of "D, D+, D- and Dauto", which can be used to slow down in front of traffic lights after proficiency, reducing the use of brakes and increasing a certain range.
In addition, the new EQS series is equipped with rear wheel steering function, and the maximum steering angle of the rear wheel can reach 10 degrees, making this big guy with more than 5.2 meters steering diameter of only 10.9 meters. In practice, the rear wheel steering function is really useful, easy to use, and even your every direction can clearly appreciate its participation, and it will be much more flexible than other models with more than 5 meters when entering and leaving the basement and parking.
As mentioned earlier, Mercedes-Benz's new EQS currently only opens L2-level driving assistance, which is decent compared to a number of smart electric vehicles in China. The timing of the acceleration and deceleration of the adaptive cruise is still in line with the driver's wishes, and occasionally there will be a slow beat. The lane keeping function is more sensitive to lane lines and will be introduced and restarted more frequently.
Others, including actual battery life, charging speed, etc., have not been intuitively tested due to the short experience time, and look forward to the opportunity to contact again.
Editor's summary: The launch of Mercedes-Benz's new EQS is certainly not to replace the S-Class. To be sure, the new EQS doesn't yet offer an S-class aura, a sense of stability, and the identity of most ordinary people. But what about 5, 8, or even 10 years from now? In the era when the car has fully entered the electrification, Mercedes-Benz's new EQS is like the S-class of the year, and it takes time to affirm the results of the layout of the luxury D-class pure electric vehicle.