Even though Mercedes has also previewed a small electric hatchback along the lines of the A-Class, it looks like its second pure EV will be the EQ S flagship.
These spyshots are the only images of the EQ S yet taken. This model has been very reclusive, only doing laboratory testing, but it appears the German magazine Auto Bild has some insider information.
According to them, the EQ S's name hints at its flagship status, even though there are no plans to get rid of the gasoline and diesel-power S-Class models. And as far as the size is concerned, the electric sedan will sit somewhere between the E- and S-Class, with a footprint similar to the CLS.
Even though the spyshots make you think of a Shooting Brake model, it's believed that the EQ S is more like a four-door coupe with short overhangs. It will arrive in 2020 and do battle with the production version of last month's Audi e-tron GT concept.
We say "sedan" but it's not yet known how many doors the model has, and the EQ S could very well be inspired by the Tesla body style. The prototype we saw had very long frameless side windows, but also regular door handles, something we expect to be missing from the next S-Class.
Like most premium automakers, Mercedes is looking to take money away from conventional engine development and put it towards EVs. However, the market is still quite small, and the EQ S will thus get a copy of the EQ C's powertrain.
This means two electric motors which can produce 408 HP for short burns of acceleration. It doesn't sound that fantastic. As a tech YouTuber recently said regarding Tesla rivals, it feels like the big players aren't taking EVs seriously enough, even though the writing is clearly on the wall.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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