Updated Mercedes EQS brings huge 575-mile range and steer-by-wire tech

On sale Late 2026 Price from £85,000 (est)

The new Mercedes EQS has undergone an extensive mid-life facelift, and even though this is the brand's range-topping model, it has potential ramifications for anyone in the market for one of the brand's cars. You see, S-badged Mercedes models have historically been the first adopters of brand new tech that has later trickled down to other models in the brand’s line-up – so this new luxury model could preview everything coming to Mercedes’ electric family in the future.

One key change is a brand-new entry point into the EQS range in the form of the EQS 400. The new model features a 112kWh (usable capacity) battery and 362bhp electric motor, with an official range of 507 miles. That’s significantly further than the 421-mile figure of the Porsche Taycan.

Even more impressive, though, is the new EQS 450+, which remains the most efficient version of Mercedes’ electric saloon. It gets a slightly larger 122kWh battery (up from 118kWh on previous models) with a huge official range of up to 575 miles. That will make the EQS 450+ the longest-range production electric car on sale, even trumping the 559 miles of the upcoming BMW i3.

The 450+ pumps out 402bhp from its rear-mounted motor – a 47bhp increase on its predecessor. With that power, it promises to be pretty punchy, completing a 0-62mph sprint in 5.9sec. That’s just slightly slower than an entry-level BMW i7, but the more performance-focused Audi E-tron GT and Porsche Taycan are much quicker.

For more speed, you’re better off looking at the four-wheel-drive 4Matic variants of the EQS, dubbed the 500 and 580. Both use the same 122kWh battery as the 450+, but are equipped with electric motors at the front and rear, offering 469bhp and 577bhp respectively. That’s enough punch for the EQS 580 4Matic to race from 0-62mph in 4.1sec – around the same as an Audi E-tron GT quattro.

As you might expect, opting for extra power does bring compromises in range, but the EQS 4Matic models still have impressive figures: both can officially travel 544 miles on a single charge.

Thanks to new 800-volt technology, the new EQS should be able to charge pretty quickly too. The 122kWh battery can charge at speeds of up to 350kW, putting the EQS among the fastest-charging cars on the market. According to Mercedes, you should be able to add 198 miles of range in just 10 minutes – provided you can find a public charger that facilitates those speeds. The smaller 112kWh battery on the 350 model charges slightly slower, at 330kW.

Those batteries also have vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid capabilities, which will allow you to feed power back into your home or the National Grid.

After a few months on sale, the new EQS will be available with steer-by-wire technology for the first time. This is where there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the wheels on the road; instead, steering inputs from the driver are sent through an electrical signal. It’s meant to make steering more agile and respond better to driving conditions. This new tech will come with a yoke steering wheel.

The EQS will also benefit from the latest Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), which forms a ‘supercomputer’ at the EQS’s core, facilitating over-the-air software updates. 

Inside, all versions of the EQS get Mercedes’ upgraded Hyperscreen infotainment system, which consists of a 12.3in driver’s display, a 17.7in central touchscreen and a 12.3in passenger display, effectively turning the dashboard into one huge display. The touchscreen is configurable, so you can put your preferred apps in easy-to-reach places, and you can also download apps like Disney+ and YouTube. Front passengers can connect Bluetooth headphones to the passenger screen to avoid distracting the driver, but according to Mercedes, the passenger display is obscured if the interior camera system detects the driver looking over at the screen.

The driver’s display can be specified with a Google Maps-based integrated sat-nav which shows other road users in real time, including cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, there are two 13.1in screens for rear-seat passengers with integrated cameras – so you can take a business call from your backseat, if you want to.

Exterior styling tweaks include a new front ‘grille’ featuring Mercedes’ light-up star pattern, plus new three-pointed star daytime running lights. Inside, you can have your seats upholstered either in Nappa leather or faux leather.

The new Mercedes EQS will arrive in the UK later this year. In Germany, prices start at 94,403 euros, which roughly equates to £82,125. Expect to pay around £85,000-£90,000 for an entry-level EQS 350. Specifying 450+ models and above will likely take the price over £100,000. For reference, the Audi E-tron GT starts at £88,605, while the BMW i7 starts at £101,865.

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