(not) kind of a drag

What range anxiety? The Mercedes-Benz EQS 580, reviewed

Mercedes makes a strong statement with its ultra-aerodynamic luxury BEV.

Eric Bangeman – Jun 17, 2022 7:15 am | 340

The extremely aerodynamic Mercedes EQS 580 Credit: Eric Bangeman

Mercedes-Benz first gave us a glimpse of its electrification strategy in 2018, with its first battery electric vehicle—the EQC 400 crossover—going on sale in Europe in 2019. Sporting a range of around 220 miles, (354 km) the 402 hp (296 kW) SUV never made it over to this side of the Atlantic. The US instead got a pair of EQS sedans that went on sale in 2021: the $102,310 EQS 450 and the $125,900 EQS 580.

The EQS 580 4Matic is the heftier of the two models—it has more motors, more mass, and more horsepower. And don’t mistake it for an S-Class sedan with all of the internal combustion bits swapped out for batteries and motors. The EQS is a new vehicle architecture designed from the start to push electrons, not hydrocarbons. And those electrons will push the EQS 580 a very long way—340 miles (547 km), to be exact.

You can’t get that far in an EV without a massive battery pack, and the EQS 580 has 107.8 kWh of juice at its disposal (the battery actually has a capacity of 120 kWh, about 10 percent of which is off-limits for driving). But what’s truly impressive about this electric sedan is its absurdly low drag coefficient of 0.20, which is unmatched by any production BEV. It looks sleek, but at first glance, the profile isn’t that much different from an S-Class sedan. Upon closer examination, you’ll notice the longer wheelbase and a pop-open slot on the front quarter-panel, which is another clue to its aerodynamic profile. That slot is for adding wiper fluid because not only does the EQS 580 have no frunk, but the hood doesn’t even open.

Aerodynamics is a big part of the picture here. Mercedes pairs a seamless hood with the advanced A-pillar to create “The Bow”—that sweeping arched look that helps drop the drag coefficient so low. The profile is reminiscent of Pinewood Derby entries from my Cub Scouts days. Even if there was a frunk, there would be no storage room. Mercedes has instead used the space for its HVAC, which it’s calling the Energizing Air Control Plus system; it contains a huge HEPA filter that the company claims can block 99.65 percent of particulate matter from making it inside the cabin.

On the inside, the EQS offers the full Mercedes experience. That includes brushed metal, shiny black plastic, wood, leather, suede, and LED accent lighting. It’s also insanely roomy and comfortable. The seats, equipped with heating, ventilation, and massage, provide the perfect blend of comfort and support for long drives. There’s plenty of leg room for everyone as well, and our 580 was equipped with the $1,700 Executive Rear Seat Package Plus, which means massages for everyone in the car. You may not miss having a frunk; the EQS 580’s hatchback lifts to reveal 21.5 ft³ (610 l) of storage, which nearly triples to 62.5 ft³ (1,770 l) with the back seats down—about what one would expect from a fastback. There’s also a handy under-floor storage area.

The most eye-catching feature of the 580’s interior is the unfortunately named Hyperscreen. It’s actually three separate screens spanning the instrument panel (12.3 inches/31.24 cm), center console (17.7 in/45 cm), and the passenger dashboard (12.3 in/31.24 cm), and it’s… a lot of big, beautiful screens. No surprises on the instrument panel—you can configure it to your heart’s content to show exactly the information you want. Over on the passenger’s side, you can access navigation, phone, and multimedia controls, which could lead to epic battles over which station to listen to.

The middle screen is massive and gorgeous. The default view is a 3D panorama of the immediate vicinity that gently zooms in and out depending on what road you’re on and how fast you’re going. If you don’t feel like looking out your windshield at an intersection, the EQS 580 will helpfully stream a live image of the stoplight so you know when to hit the accelerator. Mercedes has also worked some augmented-reality features into the mix. When using the built-in navigation feature, large blue arrows appear on the screen to guide you into the proper lane or toward the exit. They also appear on the heads-up display (which is visible even with polarized sunglasses on—a nice touch).

Mercedes has mostly done away with physical controls in the center console—it’s touch or voice. The voice controls are pretty good—with the “Hey, Mercedes” prompt, you can change radio stations, adjust the temperature, start navigation, and more. The longer I drove the EQS 580, the more I used voice controls, in no small part because the screen was not immediately responsive. The other downside to relying on touch controls is that sometimes the bits you need to interact with are way off toward the passenger side, forcing the driver to take their eyes off the road.

On the highway, the dual-motor EQS 580 comes across as heavy and powerful—no surprise given the 516 hp (380 kW) and 631 lb-ft (856 Nm) of torque. You’ll notice the mass not only in the corners but also at cruising speed. The EV never feels labored, but there’s always a sense of heft, the feeling that you’re piloting something big and fast. And fast it is—it can make it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. Maximum speed is capped at 130 mph. Moving off the freeways and onto winding country roads, I found myself easing into bends rather than attacking them.

With the default settings, the 580 offers a cloud-like ride, leaving the driver feeling insulated from bumps and sounds. It’s comfortable but not that fun. Putting the car into dynamic mode gives the steering more tautness and stiffens the suspension while reducing the BEV’s range. You can tune the EQS 580 to your heart’s content with the individual settings.

For a car of its size, the EQS 580 offers a tiny turning radius of just 35.7 feet (10.9 m), thanks to rear-wheel steering with a 10° range of motion.

You’ll seldom experience any range anxiety with the EQS 580. That 340 miles seemed spot-on, given that we usually saw a bit over 3.1 miles/kWh while driving. If you are concerned about squeezing every last mile out of your charge, the EQS 580 will let you know what you can do to extend the range, like turning off climate control to add 12 miles. My biggest gripe is that the car doesn’t remember your regeneration settings between trips, forcing you to tweak the settings with the large metal paddles behind the steering wheel. When the car is set to high-regeneration mode, the brake pedal actually depresses itself to the same extent that your foot would. I also noticed that taking the car out of comfort or eco mode completely hobbles the regenerative braking.

But those are all minor quibbles. Mercedes has built an excellent, albeit very pricy, BEV. For fans of the German automaker, the EQS 580 should hit all of the sweet spots, and the high sticker price is tempered somewhat by the $7,500 tax credit. At the very least, the EQS 580 has us looking forward to driving the EQB SUV and EQE mid-size sedan once they arrive.

Listing image: Eric Bangeman

Eric Bangeman Managing Editor

Eric Bangeman is the Managing Editor of Ars Technica. In addition to overseeing the daily operations at Ars, Eric also manages story development for the Policy and Automotive sections. He lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where he enjoys cycling and playing the bass.

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