Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 Off To A Flying Start In India

• Mercedes assembles the EQS 580 at its plant in Chakan, Pune.

• Gets a 107.8kWh battery with an ARAI-claimed range of 857km.

• Puissance comes from dual electric motors producing 523PS and 855Nm.

• The 580 4Matic is a full Rs 90 lakh more expensive than the fully imported AMG 53 variant.

Mercedes-Benz launched the EQS 580 4Matic in India just two weeks ago on September 30, and the luxury electric sedan has already garnered more than 300 bookings. Mercedes owes this response to its decision of assembling the EQS locally at its plant in Chakan, which translated to an aggressive price tag of Rs 1.55 crore (ex-showroom).

The EQS 580 4Matic is sold alongside the AMG EQS 53 variant, however the AMG-spec sedan is a fully imported unit that’ll dig deeper in your pockets with an asking price of Rs 2.45 crore (ex-showroom). In fact, the electric sedan is around Rs 5 lakh more affordable than the S-Class, which starts at Rs 1.6 crore. 

The German marque continues to build on its strong sales record, selling 11,469 units between January and September; a figure larger than its total tally for the previous year. The Mercedes GLS and GLE SUVs led the way in the third quarter, followed closely by the E-Class and C-Class sedans.

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The country has this untapped potential for luxury EV offerings that can be fully utilised if local assembly is favoured. CBU units attract hefty import duties that shoot up their prices and EVs already have a higher initial cost of investment, resulting in exorbitant price tags that fall out of reach for the majority. 

But with the response garnered by the EQS sedan, we hope other manufacturers are taking note because, well, who wouldn't want to see more luxury models on Indian roads?