Mercedes EQS 580 EV: Check Made In India Mercedes EQS Interiors & Features — See Pics

Taking advantage of local assembly, the EQS 580 seen here is priced at Rs 1.55 cr- lower than the S-Class in India.

New Delhi: There are two factors which hold back EVs, namely range anxiety and infrastructure but if one of the factors is solved, then EVs make a lot of sense. In the luxury space, EVs are perfect for early adopters and currently, we have more luxury EVs too. That said, till now all car-makers have taken the safe way by launching them via the import route as making EVs requires investment and the volume potential for them might not have been enough for many to commit to making them, hence, the reason why Tesla backed out from India.

Mercedes-Benz, which is currently the biggest luxury car maker thought otherwise and took the plunge in launching the first 'made in India' luxury EV. It is not easy since the EQS 580 is completely different and shares nothing with petrol/diesel Mercedes cars. However, the step was taken to accelerate the EV space and with the advantage of local assembly, the EQS 580 seen here is priced at Rs 1.55 cr- lower than the S-Class in India.

Hence, the EQS 580 has no rivals at this or with the range it brings and that makes it a tempting switch from petrol for any prospective buyer. Beyond the aggressive price tag, the EQS 580 is an impressive EV also- something which we discovered in our short drive in Pune. With an official figure of 857km by ARAI, it really means an end to range anxiety.

India already has the imported EQS AMG but the EQS 580 has a more elegant look wrapped around a futuristic EV styling theme. The large Mercedes star sits behind a blanked-off EV grille but I love the lights which run across the grille along with the smooth shape. In fact, the EQS is the most aerodynamic sedan with a swoopy look. It is not boxy at all with a smooth look and the door handles also pop out when needed. It is shorter in length than an S-Class but has a near identical wheelbase thanks to being based on an EV-only architecture which frees up space.

Inside, it's even better and while the traditional Mercedes look is there, the dashboard is unlike anything else I have ever seen. This is because of the huge 56-inch touchscreen which occupies the entire dashboard. It is three display panels behind a glass cover a curved touchscreen and also having a passenger display. The driver cannot operate the passenger display for safety reasons while the driver has a digital instrument cluster and also a clear HUD or a heads-up display which is also easily seen wearing Polaroid glasses.

The screen display is incredible and beats any fancy HD TV also while the latest MBUX infotainment system is very clever with loads of customizations thanks to personalized profiles accessed via finger-print recognition or face recognition. The equipment list is long including massage seats, a Burmester 3D Audio system, a tablet for rear passengers, 9 airbags and various driver assistance features.

The EQS is also hugely spacious at the rear too while not quite an S-Class but way better than any luxury EV out there with loads of space along with comfortable seats. The boot is even bigger with tonnes of space.

Onto driving the EQS and it is very easy to drive while the whole experience is more towards luxury with a bit of performance built in. The EQS 580 has a huge 107.8 kWh battery pack and develops 523hp and 855Nm with a 0-100 km/h time of only 4.3 seconds. It has a dual electric motor layout.

As we enter into a busy Pune, the EQS does not feel massive and the ground clearance is also enough as we did not scrape any speed-breaker. You can raise the car yourself with the air suspension or the car can do itself as the car remembers potholes or speed-breakers with a geo-tag which means the car won't forget to raise itself next time you drive on this road. Very cool! Adaptive suspension and a comfortable ride give it a proper S-Class-like feel with the way it glides over roads.

Dial it up via the sportier modes and the EQS is very quick but its adaptability for our roads along with the superb ride quality is what is more impressive. Then, with the rear-axle steering, it is a lot easier to drive and small turns are very much possible.

In terms of range, we got near 600km in real-world conditions and it will vary depending on the mode chosen or how you drive it.

With fast charging capability, you can juice up the EQS in just 15 minutes for 300kms and that also shows how EVs are fast evolving. There is no doubt that the EQS 580 with its price, tech, luxury and range is the new benchmark for EVs while also being 'made in India'.

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