What is a brand without a famous brand ambassador? Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have to find out. Because Tracee Ellis Ross helped promote its not-very-successful Mercedes EQS Sedan, and the test drive left her enamored.
The future is electric, or so car manufacturers want us to believe. So, most of the world’s most famous ones have started building EVs. German premium brand Mercedes-Benz included.
Mercedes-Benz released its battery-electric full-size sedan, the EQS, in 2021. The brand previously presented it as a concept car in 2019 at the International Motor Show in Germany. The lineup also includes the first-ever all-electric AMG car, with the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+.
Not so successful
In 2022, 19,200 electric EQS Sedans found a home. Reading that number, you might think “that’s not so bad.” Sure. But it kind of is, especially compared to the brand’s total sales.
Photo: Instagram / Tracee Ellis Ross
Last year was a difficult year for manufacturers. Given the semiconductor crisis, logistics issues, and the aftermath of the pandemic, the German premium brand was down 1% from the previous year. Its total sales amounted to 2,043,900 units in 2022.
Enter Tracee Ellis Ross
As longtime brand ambassador for the German premium brand, it would not be a surprise to see Ross splashing on one of its products. In this case, the 'Black-ish' Primetime Emmy nominee didn't really buy a Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+. But she did test one out. Spoiler alert: she loved it.
Tracee Ellis Ross hopped on social media to share her experience. And she had a blast doing it, because she claimed the sedan “drives like a dream" and the metaphors didn't stop there. The famous actress went on to add that driving the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ "feels like being carted on feathers by angels that have me on their shoulders." Talk about a career in arts, right?
Customers have four options to choose from when it comes to the electric EQS Sedan. They can go for the entry-level 450+ Sedan, the 450 4MATIC Sedan, the EQS 580 4MATIC Sedan, and the AMG one, which is what Ross drove.
Photo: Instagram / Tracee Ellis Ross
The flagship electric sedan features a dual electric motor setup, powerful enough to generate 649 horsepower (658 ps) and 700 lb-ft (949 Nm) of torque. For an all-wheel drive set up, one of the motors is placed on the front axle, while the other sits on the rear one.
But it can get even more than that. If you add the AMG Dynamic Plus package and go for the EQ Boost, you can have as much as 751 horsepower (761 ps) and 752 lb-ft (1,020 Nm) of torque.
Not sure about the “drives like a dream” part. But it sure is quick. Mercedes-Benz claims this electric sedan needs no more than 3.4 seconds to reach 60 mph (97 kph) from a standstill. Feathers and angels, and all, it can drive as fast as 137 mph (220 kph).
Since we’re talking about an EV, let’s cover the range, too. The AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ has a 107.8-kWh battery pack, giving it an estimated EPA range of 277 mi (446 km). How much would that cost? Well, it starts at $147,500 before options and taxes.
And, since Tracee had so much fun with it, maybe she'll get one for herself.
Imagine a Wenn diagram for cars and celebrities. At the intersection you'll find Monica, putting her passion for these fields and English-Spanish double major to work. She's been doing for the past seven years, most recently at autoevolution. Full profile
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