Mercedes EQS review: Jaw-dropping 1.4 metre ‘hyperscreen’ is the biggest you’ve ever seen

WE don’t normally discuss limos on these pages.

For the simple reason they’re a spa day on wheels for the privileged few and a funeral car for everyone else.

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But today I make an exception.

Because this Mercedes EQS isn’t just an electric S-Class, it’s a looking glass through which we can see the future.

All the sci-fi kit on this car will feed down to smaller, workaday models later.

Clearly we should start with that jaw-dropping “Hyperscreen”. It is 1.4 metres wide.

Kylie Minogue on her side, give or take a centimetre.

One piece of curved glass covering three screens: The driver’s instrument binnacle, 21in centre touchscreen and a passenger screen for internet browsing, playing games and watching TV.

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The default setting on the centre screen is a giant satnav map with smaller boxes overlaid for music, phone and so on.

Slick and simple. I like it.

Tesla has been Tesla’d. Just don’t crack it because it costs £8,000.

Next, head-up display. Not just any old head-up display. This is a thoroughly modern augmented-reality head-up display.

It projects blue turn arrows on to the windscreen that get bigger as you get closer to the junction, like an arcade game.

And you can tailor the HUD to show as much or as little information as you like. Tip-top.

There are two noise signatures (one is like a futuristic V8) when driving hard and other gizmos include voice-control, remote parking, a fancy air filter system, glow-up seatbelt buckles . . . and automatic doors.

Walk up to the EQS and the driver’s door opens automatically. Press the brake pedal and it closes.

Passengers need only tug their door handle once and the frameless door will close automatically too.

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The cabin is super-classy, supremely comfortable and soaked in white leather and white carpet — everywhere. Even the boot. Not the best choice if you play golf or have a dog.

Driving observations. It’s not Tesla or Porsche Taycan-fast but it’s easily quick enough for a stately cruiser.

And ride quality is hovercraft-smooth (air suspension, adaptive damping). Bentley will have to go some to beat it. Hot AMG version to follow.

As for range, Merc quotes 484 miles from the 107.8kWh battery pack. We’re getting there, aren’t we?

An 80 per cent charge takes half an hour. It cost me £11 for 90 miles of juice.
It is also rather slippery through the air.

The coefficient drag of just 0.2 is remarkable. For reference, the new Kia EV6 is 0.28.

Merc has already launched three electric vehicles: EQC (large SUV), EQV (van) and EQA (crossover). But unlike the EQS, they were converted from existing petrol and diesel vehicles — and therefore compromised.

The EQS is based on a dedicated battery-electric platform, where everything is optimised and scalable for smaller cars in future.

The most important Merc for decades, then? Absolutely.

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Next month we’ll see EQE, an electric E-Class.

I told you all that goodness would start dripping down. Along with the price, hopefully.

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