Test bench | Mercedes-AMG EQS: the electric partition of AMG

(Los Angeles, CA) Audi and BMW already have electric motors in their M and RS series. Mercedes’ turn to take part in this confrontation between major manufacturers engaged in a frantic race for the power of a new design where Tesla (Model S Plaid) and Porsche (Taycan) are already shining.

Eric LeFrançois
Special collaboration

The admission of a fully electric power unit into the AMG circle is as much recognition of a technology as the consideration of an ecological and commercial reality, that of the energy transition as a lifeline in a booming market. redefinition.

Standing on the accelerator of change, the oldest automotive brand on the planet has shifted its focus over the past year. The leitmotif “electric first” gives way to “only electric”, recalled Olla Källenius, its president and CEO, during a media meeting at which Press attended last September. Thus, the firm with the star estimates that 100% electric vehicles will represent 50% of its sales by 2025. It also projects that all its products will be able to accommodate an electric thruster from 2030.

An AMG remains an AMG

To make all this happen, Mercedes is feeding its electrical sector called EQ with the first models intended for North America, starting with the (very) high-end segment. After the EQS tested in our pages last fall, Mercedes, in collaboration with AMG (see other tabs), will be offering a boosted version in the spring.

We can legitimately question the relevance of offering such a vehicle. It is no secret that established brands seek, in the face of young shoots such as Tesla, Lucid Air and others, to take advantage of the notoriety acquired.

Clearly, this new model created by AMG intends to demonstrate that regardless of the energy source it consumes, an AMG will remain true to its attributes.

It also aims to reassure its followers by showing that the dynamic qualities of an electric sports vehicle are not limited to violent acceleration or vigorous pick-ups.

The designation reserved for the most generously motorized models in the Mercedes range therefore welcomes for the first time a car without exhausts.

Designed for motorists in a hurry and lovers of driving, the AMG EQS highlights the fiery temperament of its two electric motors. These are powered by a 120 kWh (107.8 kWh useful) battery which, on the surface, does not seem to make any effort to catapult this sedan to 100 km / h in 3.4 s. A performance obtained by selecting the Race Start mode, which increases the combined power from 658 to 750 hp. Note that such a feat can only be accomplished if the battery is at 80% of its charge.

Despite this business card, Mercedes had the nasty idea of ​​creating two nasty acoustic signatures for him that luckily can be silenced. In this regard, apart from the tires and the right exterior mirror, no noise or whistling comes to break the silence of the passenger compartment.

A rocket

The engines react very strongly as soon as the right foot depresses the accelerator pedal. The 4Matic + drive mode favors, by opting for the Sport or Sport + selections, the rear wheels to provide that typical feeling of being literally pushed forward which so thrills the apostles of rear-wheel drive cars.

Less brutal than that of a Tesla Model S or a Porsche Taycan, but just as linear, the acceleration is no less amazing and gently pushes your head against the pillow that covers the front headrests.

Immediate, the reactions of this mechanism erase any impression of heaviness, and the chassis matches without difficulty with the performances of the car. Including braking, provided by gigantic colored calipers which are barely revealed through the wheels, which testifies to a great efficiency once you know how to modulate it correctly.

Moreover – and this, despite its prodigious deceleration (and regeneration) power – this EQS does not allow one-pedal driving and therefore requires physical application of the brakes to bring the car to a complete stop.

With firm steering and a chassis wrapped in driving aids, this sedan is easy to handle. Note the presence (as standard) of an all-wheel drive coupled with a four-wheel steering system. These guardian angels do not make people fear too brutal acceleration out of bends and make it easier to control this vehicle, whose weight is comparable to that of a Chevrolet Suburban.

There is something a little off the mark about driving such a powerful car. Apart from the brief flight that we can allow ourselves, we must above all be concerned with monitoring our pace, because we quickly reach prohibited speeds. Fortunately, the flexibility of the electric motors also makes it possible to appreciate this car at regulatory speeds. Consequently, the level of consumption becomes almost reasonable (barely 23.4 kWh every 100 km during our test carried out on a rather tormented route).

Surrealist

Externally, this hatchback, despite its volcanic character, retains a fairly discreet presentation. It differs from the EQS by its aerodynamic rims, its grille (closed off, of course) made up of metal bars and its tires which can reach 22 inches in size. More outgoing car enthusiasts are urged to look elsewhere.

Inside ? Not really, since with the exception of the seats, the pedals, the steering wheel or the AMG-branded door sills, nothing really distinguishes this model from the one from which it derives. In this regard, so much the better, since we find the “Hyperscreen MBUX” system, a huge interactive panel that follows the contours of the dashboard. The finish is impeccable and the docking, precise.

Despite its spectacular wheelbase, the rear seat is not as roomy and comfortable as we would hope. The fault with the electrical and electronic hardware which is under the rear seats and which condemns them not to articulate. On the other hand, we welcome the easy access to the trunk and its modularity with the possibility of folding the seat backs into three parts.

Aimed at a wealthy clientele, the AMG EQS still deserves our attention. First, it gives a taste of the trendy Mercedes of tomorrow. Then, she reminds us that all-electric does not kill driving pleasure. And finally, that the technologies that compose it will inevitably end up in financially more accessible models.

Autograph

It was not the only manufacturer to do this, but AMG’s motto was: “a man [sic], a motor “. Clearly, each engine of this preparer bears the signature (see our photo) of the employee responsible for assembling it from the crankcase to the cylinder head. A tradition that is mocked today by the AMG version of the EQS, whose power units are buried in the underbody of the vehicle

The red pig

Created in 1967, but integrated as the official sports antenna of Mercedes many years later (1999), AMG acquired its status of nobility on wheels with the “red pig” (Rote Sau, nickname given by the Germanics), a 300 SEL who won, among others, the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. Three copies of this sedan have seen the light of day, but none have been found. The model shown is a replica commissioned by Mercedes in 2006.

Share your experience

Press will soon publish the test of the following vehicles: Acura RDX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Cadillac CT-5, Honda Civic Si, Infiniti QX60, Subaru Forester, Volkswagen Jetta GLi and Toyota 86. If you own or expect one of these vehicles delivery, we would like to read from you.

Transportation and accommodation costs related to this report were partially paid by Mercedes-Benz.