Mercedes-Benz and its luxury car competitors are in trouble with a capital T, as Tesla continues to gain considerable market share. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ (the EV equivalent to the company’s marque S-Class series) aims to win back buyers—at least those shopping for a high-tech sedan. Starting at $102,310, the EQA 450+ equals or tops Tesla in terms of EV range, amenities, comfort, and cutting-edge tech. But a few head-scratching features detract from its high-end feel and price.
EQS 450+ Design and Trim Options
The EQS 450+ comes in three trim levels: Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle. We tested the entry-level Premium trim, which starts at $102,310. For comparison, the dual-motor Tesla Model S has a base price of $88,740.
No matter the trim, all EQS 450+ models sport a 245-kW electric motor that produces 329 horsepower and 417 lb-ft. of torque; the motor channels the power to the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission.
A 107.8 kWh lithium-ion battery powers the motor and provides an EPA-estimated range of 350 miles on a full charge. In our tests, however, the EQS 450+ easily exceeded this range; we got almost 450 miles. For comparison, the single-engine model of the Polestar 2 has a range of 265 miles.
You can top off the battery from empty in just over 30 minutes with a DC fast-charger via the car’s Combined Charging System plug. With a 240-volt charging system and a J1772 connector, the battery charges fully in just over 11 hours.
Standard exterior and performance features include 10-degree rear-axle steering; 20-inch wheels with range-optimizing 255/45R20 summer tires; adaptive suspension damping; air suspension; digital LED headlamps; Dynamic Select drive modes; paddle-shifter-controlled regenerative braking; power-folding side mirrors with LED Mercedes-Benz logo projectors; and seamless door handles.
You also get interior amenities including 64-color LED ambient lighting; biometric driver authentication; dual-zone automatic climate control with pre-entry settings; heated and ventilated front seats; a panoramic glass roof; tech that alerts you to damage or threats to the vehicle; six 100-watt USB-C charging ports; and wireless phone charging with NFC pairing.
The car comes with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, which consists of a 12.8-inch OLED touch-screen dashboard and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The dashboard provides access to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay; Bluetooth for audio and hands-free phone calls; music streaming and apps; natural-language voice controls; over-the-air software updates; and all of the vehicle settings.
The vehicle also comes with a 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound system with an EV Sound Experience feature that replaces engine sounds, plus an HD and satellite AM/FM radio. A Mercedes-Benz navigation system provides free online map updates for one year, a route planning feature based on available charge, and an augmented video overlay system that helps with directions.
In addition to typical driver assists (such as front-collision warnings with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot and lane-keeping assists, and driver-drowsiness warnings), the EQS 450+ includes cutting-edge safety features such as evasive-steering assists and car-to-x communication that works with other similarly equipped vehicles and traffic infrastructure.
The Exclusive trim starts at $105,710 and adds multi-contour front seats with massage settings, rapid-heating front seats, power front seats with memory, a cabin air purification and fragrance system, and a heads-up display. The top-of-the-line Pinnacle trim starts at $108,510; it adds heated and ventilated rear seats, power outboard rear seats with memory, an upgraded center armrest, and rear seat wireless charging.
Our Premium trim model came equipped with other perks including a 120-volt charging cable ($250); Active ambient lighting ($590); Anthracite 3D Relief-Optic trim ($540); an Energizing Air Control Plus HEPA filter ($450); a heated steering wheel ($250); MBUX Interior Assistant gesture controls ($350); multi-contour front seats with a massage function ($1,100); and rapid-heating front seats ($450). Including a $1,050 destination and delivery charge, the final sticker price for our test model came to $107,389.
The cab-forward exterior design of the EQS 450+ is a departure for Mercedes, but the sedan looks sleek. In fact, it has the lowest drag coefficient of any current production vehicle. Careful details make it stand out even more, including a black faux grille with tiny Mercedes three-point stars that surround the prominent center logo, 20-inch aerodynamic wheels with more Mercedes stars, and helix-like LED taillights.
A curved dash with elegant turbine-style metal air vents at each corner and a wavy pattern add a distinctive modern flair to the interior. The cabin is roomy and has the kind of luxuries you would expect from a Mercedes-Benz flagship. For instance, both the driver and passenger can set up ideal seating positions based on their height.
Lots (and Lots) of Tech
We didn’t get a chance to sample the EQS with the 56-inch Hyperscreen infotainment system, but the standard dashboard touch screen works well. The interface uses the company’s zero-layer design, which essentially means that all of the primary features are always available directly from the main menu. We also like many of the car’s practical features, such as the Parking Damage Detector that tells you whether someone bumped your vehicle. In testing, however, we got a false alarm at one point.
The innovative driver assist technologies here impress. We didn’t need to use the evasive-steering assist, but we appreciate the feature that casts a beam of light onto the road in the adjacent lane when you turn on your blinker, which is a very useful aid for night driving.
Other tech seems frivolous and even silly, however, such as the Graphical Goodies feature that wished us Happy Halloween and displayed jack-o’-lanterns and other fall embellishments. Another is the Traffic Light View that takes over most of the display; it redundantly shows what the driver sees out of the windshield (and maybe just a bit more). Fortunately, you can turn off both features.
In addition, the car supports Bluetooth connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is more convenient than a USB connection because it frees up a port. While CarPlay worked fine most of the time in testing, at one point we got the unhelpful message that “Something went wrong.”
Smooth Ride, Inconsistent Regenerative Braking
The car’s 245-kW electric motor delivers immediate torque and 0-60mph acceleration in 5.9 seconds, which is remarkable for a vehicle that weighs nearly three tons. The EQS 450+ also has S-Class-like poise whether on pockmarked urban pavement or a smooth highway; the standard air suspension makes the ride silky smooth.
In testing, the vehicle carved So-Cal canyons with even composure thanks to rear-axle steering that can turn the rear wheels up to 10 degrees. This also dramatically reduces the car’s turning radius and makes the big sedan feel more compact, especially when you need to make a U-turn.
Our biggest gripe with the EQS is its strange regenerative braking behavior. You can choose between four modes: None, Normal, Automatic, and Maximum. None allows the car to coast with no regeneration; Normal mimics standard motor braking and captures some energy; Automatic determines how much to apply based on several factors; and Maximum offers one-pedal-style driving. In every mode, the brake pedal has an abnormally long travel and suffers from a squishy feel. Even more disconcerting, in Maximum mode, the brake pedal automatically lowers when coming to a stop; as a result, we felt the need to stab the pedal harder than necessary in a mild panic to avoid hitting the car ahead of us at a traffic light.
Considerable Competition for Tesla
Despite some quirks, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ Sedan is an impressive luxury EV that checks the boxes in terms of comfort, innovation, and performance. The car’s excellent driving range could even be enough to steal back some customers who would have otherwise considered the Tesla Model S, though ultimately, the Model S offers a more refined package overall. If you’re looking for a luxury EV that doesn’t cost around $100,000, meanwhile, we’re also fans of the aforementioned Polestar 2 (which starts $45,900), even if it doesn’t offer a standout battery range.
