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Mercedes EQS 53 AMG
Photo: Daniel Maurer / Daimler
The first impression:
It's like a stealth bomber.
Because of the streamlined shape - and because you can't see the power of the limousine.
This is what the manufacturer says:
The old rules also apply in the new automotive world. When even Elon Musk brags about the top speed of the Model S, fuels the arms race with a 1020 hp plaid model and takes part in the record hunt at the Nürburgring, then it is only a matter of time before the Mercedes tuning brand AMG has a souped-up version the EQS luxury electric sedan brings. "There are simply a number of customers who always want a little more - regardless of whether there is a combustion engine or an electric motor under the hood," says Jochen Hermann, Technical Director at AMG.
And so the EQS marks the dawn of a new era as the first electric AMG model after the experimental SLS e-Cell. Especially internally, the Stromer had a big impact, says Hermann. He reminded the developers of the SLS and whetted the appetite for electronics. They want to really live it out at the AMG headquarters in Affalterbach soon. Behind the scenes, work has long been underway on its own electrical architecture, on which electric sports vehicles should start by the middle of the decade.
We noticed:
Hear, hear! If there is otherwise absolute calm with electric cars after getting in, the EQS 53 AMG reports with a futuristic noise. When starting off, there is also a distant rumble. "Driving an AMG is always a very emotional experience and the sound plays an important role in this," says developer Jens Hüser. That is why there are two different soundscapes for the new model: "Sport" and "Powerful". Both should translate the babbling, roaring and roaring of the eight-cylinder into the electric here and now. Two loudspeakers under the rear also transmit the sound to the outside. That sounds much more subtle than with a combustion engine. In addition, the artificial riot can be switched off at any time.
But the sound is just a free choice. Speed is much more important at AMG - and the EQS offers a lot more here. With a maximum torque of 1020 Nm, one of the highest in the model range, the two electric motors hurl the 2.7-ton truck towards the horizon. The car speeds from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.4 seconds. If you let your foot stand, you end up with 240 km / h on the speedometer, 30 km / h more than in the other EQS. It's good that the all-wheel drive distributes the power to all four wheels and the electronics fine-tune it - otherwise the tire tread would be down after a few sprints.
However, these values have more of a theoretical value.
Hardly any e-driver constantly exhausts their ability to accelerate, and certainly not the top speed of their car.
Even the Tesla Model S, which in the fastest version can still manage 320 km / h, can usually be seen rolling at the recommended speed, just like the Porsche Taycan or the Audi e-tron GT.
What connoisseurs, on the other hand, always feel is the somewhat more binding pace that the AMG displays: the drive programs are more widely spread.
And the more you turn the wheel in the steering wheel, the more direct the car feels.
The steering becomes more sensitive, the brakes have more bite, the recuperation has a stronger effect and the chassis is more concrete.
The whole car seems to be in good shape.
For some AMG customers, however, it depends on completely different things, explains technology boss Hermann.
For example on an impressive appearance: "Many simply want to stand out from the others and therefore appreciate our Panamericana grill."
You have to know that:
The EQS 53 AMG can be ordered immediately, it will be delivered from spring.
The car costs at least 152,546 euros and is around 20,000 euros more expensive than the previous EQS top model.
In return, the output of the two electric motors increases from 523 to 658 hp.
Anyone who orders the “Dynamic Package plus” for a further 4800 euros can boast of 761 hp.
It includes 240 km / h instead of 220 km / h as in the AMG basic model.
This makes the EQS 53 AMG the fastest Stromer from Stuttgart - but also the slowest AMG model to date.
Of course, the performance saps the range, which is around 200 kilometers shorter than the production version.
But with a net capacity of just under 108 kWh, the battery can still provide electricity for up to 581 kilometers.
Then, in the best case scenario, the electric S-Class draws electricity for 300 kilometers within 15 minutes.
The EQS 53 AMG is around 20 percent and with the performance package even 40 percent more powerful than the most powerful previous model of the Mercedes EQS.
But it is still not enough for the first league of electric sedans: Tesla is promising 1020 hp for the new top version of the Model S Plaid.
For the flagship of the Lucid Air, the Americans are promising 1080 hp.
At AMG, too, they apparently know that their car is in the second league in view of these values - and has therefore denied it the type abbreviation 63 reserved for champions.
We won't forget that:
the small spoiler on the trunk lid and the diffuser underneath.
Two details that AMG celebrates as the insignia of power.
They improve the contact pressure in fast corners and are an eye-catcher for the trained eye.
At the same time, they increase air resistance, which reduces the range.
But that's not the top priority at AMG.
Thomas Geiger is a freelance writer and was supported in his research by Mercedes. Reporting is independent of this.
