2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 review: Australian first drive

For many petrolheads and German-brand purists, the impossible and unthinkable is happening. In Munich, BMW has already rolled out a brace of pure electric cars wearing the coveted M badge, Porsche has recently slapped the esteemed GTS performance moniker on the hind of its Taycan pure EV and now it’s the turn of Mercedes to follow suit with the 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4Matic tested here.

In addition to the bellowing V8s, silky sixes and boost-brute four-cylinders, the AMG brand will now have a silent assassin in its ranks – almost, but more about that later.

Launching in Australia ahead of the Benz EQS 450 version, the EQS 53 luxury sedan is the model that marks Mercedes-AMG’s foray into the bright electric realm – a significant burden to carry. But has the German giant chosen the right vehicle for arguably the most significant milestone in all of Affalterbach’s history?

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As if that wasn’t enough of a responsibility, the EQS also rolls out in the shadow of its S-Class sibling – a car that for five decades has represented the pinnacle of luxury, innovation of opulence for the three-pointed star.

Is it time for a technological upstart to take the mantle as the flagship? or do the petrol-powered (and gently hybridised) S-Class options still represent the forefront of the Mercedes line-up?

Let’s start with a close analysis of the boot badge itself. Introduced on the boot of the E-Class in 2018, the 53 denotes not the fire-breathing monster that is the 63 (or even 65), but the intercostal variant that offers a little more choice within the AMG family and fills a void between the AMG hero and the top end of the Mercedes-Benz line-up.

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Despite that, the EQS 53 arrives with some spectacular performance statistics to its name. Drawing power from a 107.8kWh lithium-ion battery, an electric motor on each axle (for 4Matic all-wheel drive) produces a combined output of 484kW and 950Nm – significantly more than the current range-topping Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Spend another $7690 however, and AMG will bolt on extra battery cooling hardware and unleash more current for peak outputs of 560kW and 1020Nm. It’s only available under certain circumstances, including the correct battery state of charge and temperature, and only when Race Start is selected in Sport Plus driving mode, but it’s absolutely worth it.

With the brake pinned and accelerator flat to the floor, the EQS 53 begins the most theatrical and sensational launch control routine I’ve ever experienced. The cabin is filled with the rising tone of something otherworldly, bass generators vibrate the seats, the seatbelts tighten against braced pectorals and the dash erupts into a carnival of graphical hype.

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The whole incredible performance should be distracting but as soon as the left foot sidesteps the brake, any amusement or misdirection is immediately forgotten, replaced by a sole focus on intense acceleration. Mercedes claims a zero to 100km/h dash of 3.4 seconds – the same as an AMG E63 S.

For most cars, a party piece like this would be more than enough but the EQS 53 has a few. Keep your foot buried and the 2.6-tonne limo carves impossible pace through corners as well.

Adaptive air suspension and adaptive dampers do an excellent job of hiding the heft but a standard rear-steering axle that can dial in as much as nine degrees of lock is the most transformative element.

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The 53 turns into corners with an unexpected urgency and the tail follows with the obedience of a labrador. There’s little body roll to speak of – especially in Sport or Sport Plus modes – and the steering is tuned with a similar balance of feedback and comfort.

It’s in the more sedate modes that the EQS really shines, though. With minimal ‘natural’ noise coming from the electric drivetrain, the AMG whispers along open roads with little noise transmitted through its 21-inch or optional 22-inch wheels and with a drag coefficient of just 0.23, wind noise is also completely absent.

For those who find the near silence a little unsettling, there are plenty of options to dial back in some of the synthetic soundtrack you get in Race Start. For a car that makes no real sound of its own, the EQS 53 is easily the chattiest EV I’ve driven.

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With three levels to choose from – Balanced, Sport and Powerful – occupants can experience an intriguing variety of noises all created synthetically and piped through the interior speakers as well as to the exterior of the vehicle.

The big Merc has a report on the outside when locking and unlocking, it’ll make another cool sound when the start button is pressed, and there’s an intricate soundtrack for acceleration and braking.

With such a rich heritage of engine noise, it should come as no surprise that the acceleration report has what sounds like just a little combustion rumble woven in, while the regeneration report is smooth and satisfying and bolsters the good feeling from recapturing energy that would ordinarily be burnt as heat in the brakes.

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Speaking of which, the EQS 53 gets four-piston fixed calipers at the front and single-piston sliders at the back, but with up to 300kW of regenerative braking available, the traditional hydraulic system rarely comes into play, despite the car’s mass. Not once did we feel the need to blow another $9990 for the carbon-ceramic, six-piston set-up.

The official ADR range claim is a very respectable 587km but innovative battery technology and highly efficient power recuperation mean the average energy consumption of about 23kWh/100km is believable – even though during our very enthusiastic test the reported figure jumped into the 30s.

Perhaps the only downside to the EQS powertrain comes when it’s time to plug in. Its 400-volt system offers up to a maximum charging rate of 200kW, which is relatively slow, especially when you look over the fence and see what emerging 800-volt systems are offering.

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Thanks to clever battery technology and AMG-specific power management, it’s still possible to force in 300km-worth of range in 19 minutes, but that is still beaten by rival systems including Porsche’s Taycan and Tesla.

One sweetener is three years of free Chargefox public topping-up included in the sale but most EQS owners will likely apply the smartphone charging regime analogy of plugging in at night and waking up to a full battery at home.

Standard AMG sports seats finished in Artico synthetic leather are supportive and comfortable and impart just enough AMG-ness without being punishing like the buckets in a C63 S, while the ‘Microcut’ microfibre material covering the centre armrest and door trims brings more sports appeal with contrasting red stitching.

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But easily the most memorable element of the EQS 53’s interior would be its completely appropriately named Hyperscreen. This vast slab of glass that spans more than a metre hides three high-resolution monitors including the central screen that measures a whopping 25 inches.

Such is the area of the main screen, navigation maps could almost be displayed at a scale of 1:1 and a brilliant, intuitive operating system allows numerous information windows to be presented simultaneously – imagine comparing a decent-sized smartphone to a two-screen home PC set-up and you have some idea of the comparison to most car infotainment systems.

Flanking the massive display are two further monitors measuring about 12 inches each – one for the driver’s instruments and another all for the front passenger. Unfortunately, in Australia, the latter cannot be used to show movies and streaming as it can in other markets but it’s still an uncommon premium touch that will make anyone in the passenger seat feel as special as the driver.

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Mercedes’ excellent and almost eerie augmented navigation system works particularly well thanks to the new vast central screen but when optioned for $2690 to appear in the huge head-up display, it takes on a new and almost unbelievable level of functionality.

The EQS cabin is one eye-popping surprise after another. When the sun sets, the interior bursts into light with a web of pinstriped LED lighting that can be customised through countless colour combinations, including one special setting that’ll change according to driving style – a little like Mini’s LED cluster surround but amped up to 11.

Under hard acceleration the edge of the dashboard pulses red, cruising results in a pleasant flowing white, while regen turns the strip blue. There’s even light piped into the edges of the front seats for the complete Vegas-after-dark effect.

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There is so much more to this pivotal car than it’s possible to explore in the relatively short time that was available with the EQS 53 at its local launch and I can’t wait to jump in for an extended drive in the near future. But this fleeting meeting has already highlighted an enormous amount of substance to the first EV from AMG.

And if you might imagine all that kit and tech comes at a price you’d be right, but not quite as much, measure for measure, as previous luxo AMG limos have commanded. The AMG EQS 53 starts from $328,400 before on-road costs, which is less than the current S-Class range-topping S580, $17,400 cheaper than the (albeit faster) Porsche Taycan Turbo S, and is likely to hover suspiciously close to the asking price of the incoming BMW i7.

Given this is a decidedly esoteric model, Mercedes isn’t expecting to sell many EQS examples, including the Benz-badged EQS 450 that’ll arrive in the fourth quarter of 2022. In fact, sales are expected to be less than the circa 200 registrations for the S-Class last year, but volumes and profits are not what this car is about by a long shot.

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It doesn’t take long after boarding the EQS 53 to realise that the coveted AMG badge has not been hastily slapped on the rump of the first available three-pointer in a slightly desperate attempt to keep up with Mercedes-AMG’s arch-rivals.

There’s more performance and (zero-emissions) muscle available from the 53 badge than ever before, dynamics strike the perfect balance of comfort and agility, while the levels of luxury and equipment far exceed expectations.

If this is what Affalterbach can do with a 2.6-tonne five-door luxury limo, imagine what it’s going to achieve when it turns its attention to the rest of the electric Mercedes range.

A first spin in the first electric AMG not only categorically answers the question of whether it deserves the apple tree and camshaft coat of arms, but raises another.

After 50 years as the flagship of the Mercedes family, does the S-Class have to relinquish its title to a dazzling technological upstart?

2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC specifications