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By Jonathan Crouch

With the EQS, Mercedes re-writes the rules of what a luxury limo should be. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 92

With this EQS, Mercedes' most opulent EV, the Stuttgart brand has tried to redefine what the luxury limo of the future will look like. It goes further on a single charge than any electric vehicle has before and claims to be the most aerodynamic production road car yet made. The cabin is suitably futuristic, the drivetrains are potent, the technology's impressive - and of course, the prices are high. Everything you'd expect really - from a car that, equally, might be everything you wouldn't expect a large luxury boardroom conveyance to be.

Backgroundword count: 137

What might the luxury limo of EVs look like? This is the Mercedes take on that question, the EQS. Other EQ Mercedes models mirror the look of their combustion counterparts quite closely, but the EQS looks nothing like an S-Class, outside or in. And of course, the driving and ownership experience it offers is completely different too. One thing is common though. The S-Class has always been the model on which we've first seen Mercedes choiciest engineering and electronic innovations, features which then filter down into more affordable cars in the Stuttgart maker's portfolio. So it is with the EQS, which pioneers new technology in aerodynamics, cabin screen tech and charging - to name just three things amongst many - which will all be seen in future smaller Mercedes EQ models. But started here with this one.

Driving Experienceword count: 381

The core model is the EQS 450+, which is rear wheel drive and puts out 333hp, with 568Nm of torque. Even with this model's near 2.5-tonne kerb weight, that's enough to enable the 0-62mph sprint to be dispatched in just 6.2 seconds on the way to 130mph. Drive with more decorum and up to 453 miles of range is supposed to be possible from the huge 107.8kWh battery. The brand also offers a high performance Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ model with 658hp and 950Nm of torque. It offers a 358 mile range and gets to 62mph in just 3.8s en route to a top speed that can be up to 155mph. Under the skin across the EQS line-up, the 4-link front suspension set-up with its multi-link arrangement at the rear is closely related to the that used in the S-Class and, as with that car, adaptive air suspension is standard, with its parameters adjusted depending on the drive mode you select - choose from 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual'. The ride height falls at above 74mph, which improves aerodynamic efficiency and ups the driving range. Predictive camera-based suspension tech is missing, but this car nonetheless wafts over speed humps and tarmac tears as if they weren't there. It's probably our favourite thing about it. That pillowy ride doesn't mean a dynamic downside through the turns, but there's little enjoyment to be had from throwing this car about, so it's just as well that few owners will want to. Four-wheel steering is standard, which sees the rear wheels turning by up to 10-degrees compared to those at the front - or by as much as 9-degrees with the AMG '53' version. They turn in the same direction as those at the front to help stability at high speeds - and in the opposite direction to aid manoeuvrability at parking speeds. It works too: the EQS boasts a turning circle of 10.9-metres with the 10-degree rear axle steering set-up, which is extraordinary for a 5.21-metre long limousine. You're going to need to make proactive use of the clever energy recuperation system, which is manually selectable via these steering wheel paddles in three stages - 'D+', 'D' and 'D-' - or select 'D auto' to do it all for you if you can't decide.

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