The shift to electrification is within the works at Mercedes-Benz. The brand new S-Class is wonderful, however it did not make the ultimate lower this 12 months as a result of it was upstaged by its future alternative: the EQS.

A full-size electrical hatchback, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is a tour de power even the S-Class cannot match because it lays the groundwork for the German automaker’s future. The EQS earned its spot on the Motor Authority Greatest Automobile To Purchase 2022 finalist checklist because the market’s first true electrical luxurious automotive (sorry, the Tesla Mannequin could also be costly, however it is not a luxurious automotive).

Based mostly on Mercedes’ new MMA platform, which is able to underpin lots of the upcoming electrical Benz fashions, the EQS appears to be like like nothing else on the highway as we speak because of its cab-forward design and quick roofline that creates a slippery coefficient of drag 0.20. Its design is about effectivity and the futuristic look is a facet profit.

The EQS’s cabin is a tech showcase highlighted by the elective Hyperscreen, which contains three dashboard screens lined in a single 56-inch pane of glass. Practically each touchpoint within the pillowy inside is roofed in both glass or tender leather-based. At evening, the ambient lighting makes the inside really feel like a high-end evening membership.

The bottom EQS has ample energy, and the opposite fashions are downright fast. The bottom 450+ mannequin makes use of single rear motor that gives 329 hp and 419 lb-ft of torque and launches the automotive from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. The twin-motor EQS 580 mannequin provides a front-mounted motor that ups whole output to 516 hp and 631 lb-ft whereas additionally offering all-wheel drive. The 0-60 mph dash drops to 4.1 seconds and makes freeway passing extra assured.

Each EQS attracts its energy from a 107.8-kwh battery pack; single-motor automobiles have 350-miles of EPA-rated vary, whereas the dual-motor EQS 580 has 340 miles of vary.

The suspension is the EQS’s secret sauce. An air suspension paired with adaptive dampers comes customary and permits the EQS to glide over the highway whereas dismissing bumps. In Consolation mode, it could possibly wallow at occasions on the freeway, however round city it is chic. Between the isolating suspension and the near-silent powertrain, it is typically exhausting to inform simply how briskly the EQS is transferring down the highway. Rear-axle steering helps shrink the EQS round corners, too.

Whereas the EQS upstages the most recent S-Class, which is a feat in itself, it is not excellent. We take problem with the brakes, which really feel mushy when first utilized however get higher after the handoff from regen to friction braking. The design makes the automotive appear like it landed from outer area, however it’s definitely not as fairly because the S-Class, and the proportions elicit ideas of the not-so-upscale Chrysler LH fashions of the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s. The Hyperscreen’s high-set gauge cluster nearly obstructs the view forward, and the sheer quantity of knowledge on the quite a few screens can really feel overwhelming.

Luxurious automobiles hardly ever make it to the ultimate spherical in Motor Authority‘s Greatest Automobile To Purchase competitors as a result of we worth enjoyable behind the wheel. The EQS is so good, although, and such a game-changer within the electric-car market, that we now have to contemplate it.

Will the Mercedes-Benz EQS’s mixture of know-how, journey consolation, energy, and electrical luxurious be sufficient for it to win Motor Authority‘s Greatest Automobile To Purchase 2022 competitors? Examine again on Jan. 3 once we announce the winner, together with the winners from our sister websites, The Automobile Connection, and Inexperienced Automobile Stories.