BY JENS MEINERS | CarAndDriver.Com

Troy Warren for CNT #Cars

The flagship model of the Mercedes-EQ electric lineup gains a high-performance AMG version.

Mercedes-AMG has revealed this upcoming performance version of the Mercedes flagship EQS electric sedan.
The AMG EQS increases power by 133 hp over the new 2022 EQS580 4Matic, for a total of 649 horsepower. Adding the AMG Dynamic Plus package can bring that up to 751 horsepower.
U.S. buyers will be able to see the 2022 AMG EQS in dealerships early in 2022, Mercedes said.

Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance affiliate AMG has made a lot of different cars, from high-powered four-bangers to ultra-luxurious V-12 engines. At one point, they even made a super-efficient diesel. But a full EV was missing—until now. Here is the Mercedes-AMG EQS53 AMG+, a derivative of Mercedes’s EQSelectric flagship.

The AMG EQS may be similar in name to the standard Mercedes-Benz EQS, but AMG has tweaked the car significantly. In traditional AMG fashion, it excels in lateral dynamics: Power rises to 649 horsepower, and torque is rated at 700 pound-feet. Thus powered, the EQS AMG is claimed to reach 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, with top speed governed at 137 mph.

The miracles of motor management, available for purchase as the AMG Dynamic Plus package, can unlock a whopping 751 horsepower, another 50 or so pound-feet, cut the claimed zero-to-62-mph time by 0.4 second, and allow the EQS to reach 155 mph before it hits the governor. The power comes thanks to AMG-specific motors. They can recuperate energy with up to 300 kW, an experience sure to send the passengers into their seatbelts as the portly sedan decelerates sharply.

No matter which output level you choose, the AMG EQS has the same battery pack as the standard EQS, with 107.8 kWh of usable capacity. Mercedes isn’t yet talking range for the U.S. market, and in fact we are still waiting on EPA range numbers for the non-AMG EQS, but we expect the AMG version to go a bit less far on a charge due to its higher power output and presumably lower efficiency.

AMG has upgraded the cooling system and the driving modes, which put special emphasis on performance—understandably, since governments continue to stipulate that emissions equal “zero,” no matter how much energy is used in an EV.

Torque distribution is more rear-biased than on the regular EQS, and the chassis is significantly tweaked, including stabilizers, bearings, and rear axle components. The AMG-specific damper control is quicker and more performance-oriented, and customers can opt for a rear-wheel-steering system that allows for up to 9 degrees of steering angle, helping maneuverability. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional.

A plethora of software-based elements encourage the driver of this new AMG to hit the racetrack; the most playful one is the Track Pace feature, which lets the driver compare track performance with previous laps. And “when temperature and charging state allow,” there is a “race start” function that adds multifarious visual and sound effects.

Outside, the status of the Mercedes-AMG EQS as the current top model is underscored by specific wheels (up to 22 inches), a front splitter, a bigger rear wing, and a diffuser. Inside, there are specific fabrics and decor as well as an AMG-specific interpretation of the content on the huge “Hyperscreen.”

We can’t help but wonder whether this model is AMG’s last word on the EQS. But we are pleased to see it nonetheless, as a harbinger of even better things to come.