At almost 2.8 tonnes, the EQS580 isn’t exactly a butterfly on its feet but thanks to the prodigious 536hp and 858Nm available instantly at the flick of a foot, it moves. It moves fast! Nought to a hundred comes in under 5 seconds and you can certainly feel it on your neck and gut as you get pinned down to your seat. The dual motor propulsion can be ferocious when you want it, but dial it to comfort mode in traffic and the EQS is probably the most soothing thing you’ll be cocooned by. Eerily quiet, fuss-free driving is what the EQS is about. We barely even used the re-gen paddles, of which there are four stages, but the pure EV drivetrain has been refined to such an extent that one barely needs to interfere with the electronics or battery management.
Speaking of, the gigantic 122kWh battery pack gives the EQS a class-leading range of 600 plus kilometres in the real world. Mercedes claims a monumental 809km as certified by ARAI and as overreaching that sounds, even with a heavy right foot and sport mode on constantly, we reckon you could easily stretch its range to 500kms and beyond. In fact, the ride in most conditions barring bumper to bumper traffic is must more planted and sorted in Sport Mode. Comfort just creates too much body roll around quicker bends and undulating roads.
The EQS580’s massive power shove is what makes it exciting in a straight line and can be addictive if you’re alone. Passengers might complain of nausea but the driver will have a big grin plastered on his/her face. Despite all the power, it’s under braking that you feel all that weight you’re lugging around and while a fun car, it certainly isn’t meant for a slalom. At speeds below 60km/hr, the trick rear axle steering helps by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction by 10 degrees on in the same direction as the front at higher speeds. It reduces the turning radius of this 5.1m car by almost 2 metres! The bag of tricks this car carries just doesn’t seem to end.