Mercedes-AMG EQS53 electric high-performance limo pricing, details confirmed
The Mercedes-AMG EQS53 electric limousine will be priced from $324,800 before on-road costs, making it one of the most expensive EVs in Australia.
But the sizeable four-door sedan will also be one of the fastest and most luxurious electric cars on the market – for now, at least. Plus its 107.8kWh battery is larger than any EV currently available in Australia.
The EQS provides an EV alternative to the S-Class that has long represented the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz technology and luxury.
That place within the vast Mercedes-Benz hierarchy appears to be in its twilight for the very traditional S-Class given the pace with which the brand is embracing electricity.
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And the limousine market is one that seems rife for swift EV adoption.
Electric motors provide the sort of refinement and thrust even the world’s most advanced petrol engines can’t compete with and Mercedes-Benz is working towards and all-EV range across much of the world by 2030.
Mercedes-Benz is not alone in shifting its limousine to EV.
BMW, Audi, Bentley and Rolls-Royce are all working on electric limousines, with Rolls-Royce and Bentley planning to only sell EVs by the end of the decade.
The EQS is also the first Mercedes-Benz to be built on a bespoke EV architecture; the EQA and EQC each utilises the platform of an internal combustion engine car, in turning bringing compromises to space and efficiency.
For the $324,800 outlay buyers of the Mercedes-AMG EQS53 – the pinnacle of the multi-pronged EQS lineup – will get an assortment of luxury gear.
One of the highlights is an enormous 1.41-metre (55.5 inches in the old money) display screen that sprawls across the dash.
Known as the Hyperscreen, the vast display is actually three screens morphed together to appear as one. They look after everything from the internment cluster to anything to do with entertainment and driver settings.
The EQS53 also gets 21-inch alloy wheels, quad-zone ventilation, digital TV and radio tuning, active ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof and AMG seats with active side supports and inbuilt “hot stone massage functions”.
Those who want more will be asked to dig deeper.
A $9290 Energizing Comfort Package includes heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, a HEPA air filter (three things all standard on a Tesla Model Y) and a rear seat entertainment system with two sets of headphones.
A $3990 Night Package adds 22-inch wheels, red brake calipers and black design highlights.
An augmented reality head-up display is another $2690.
Beneath the skin the EQS53 rides on Mercedes-Benz’s new scaleable EV architecture with a wheelbase of 3210mm (that’s big).
It’s also a sizeable car at 5223mm long and 1926mm wide. At 2580kg it’s also about the same weight as a Toyota LandCruiser 4WD.
No shortage of grunt, though.
The EQS53 AMG comes with two electric motors making a combined 484kW and 950Nm, which is enough to propel the big four-door to 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds.
An AMG Dynamic Plus pack costs another $7690 and has the ability to temporarily boost outputs to 560kW and 1020Nm when using the Race Start mode. That lowers the 0-100km/h time to 3.4 seconds. That pack also brings a specific AMG fake sound known as the Performance AMG Sound Experience.
The EQS53 uses a lithium-ion battery with a usable capacity of 107.8kWh. It provides a claimed range of 587km.
The standard AC charging rate is 11kW, but that can be upped to 22kW for another $2490.
With the standard 11kW onboard charger it should take as little as 10 hours for a full charge, or five hours if you’ve splashed out on the quicker charger.
If anyone wants to charge from a regular home powerpoint – difficult to imagine with a car priced from around $350K drive-away – then they’ll have to settle in for about two full days of charging.
Faster DC charging can be done at up to 200kW, which Mercedes-Benz claims can add up to 300km of range – a little over half the battery capacity – in 19 minutes.
While the EQS53 is at the top of the EQS range, Mercedes-Benz Australia is planning on broadening the offerings later this year with the arrival of the EQS450 4Matic.
Mercedes-Benz acknowledges that the EQS could cannibalise sales of the S-Class – already a low-volume car due to its $250K-plus price – but that there are no plans to adjust the S-Class lineup as a result.
“Ultimately we want to transition our customers over to electric,” said a Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson, adding that the company was happy to “offer them something that is a full electric alternative”.
They also said the EQS had the potential to broaden the appeal of the brand.
“We don’t think the EQS is only going to be bought by S-Class customers … we think it will bring new people to the brand.”
While less powerful models could appeal to some hire car and limousine drivers, Mercedes-Benz believes the faster and more lavishly appointed EQS53 will predominantly be purchased by private buyers.
Mercedes-AMG EQS53 specifications
Price: From $324,800 plus on-road costs
Basics: EV, 5 seats, 4 doors, large sedan, AWD
Range: 587km
Battery capacity: 107.8KWh
Battery warranty: 10 years, 250,000km (guarantee of 70% of original capacity)
Energy consumption:
Motors: 2, 484kW/950Nm (560kW/1020Nm with AMG Dynamic Plus pack)
AC charging: 11kW (standard), 22kW (optional), Type 2 plug
DC charging: 200kW, CCS combo plug
0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds (standard), 3.4 seconds (with AMG Dynamic Plus pack)
