Mercedes-Benz EQS Vs BMW i7: Battle Of The Flagship German Sedans

It's finally happened. Electric vehicles have been developed up to a point where we now have electric equivalents of flagship sedans from Mercedes-Benz and BMW. For the former it is the EQS, which is the S-Class of EVs, while the latter recently took the wraps off the electric 7 Series equivalent, the i7. The question is, which of these two German titans will come out on top in EV credentials? Let’s find out:

Dimensions

In this department, the BMW i7 trumps the Mercedes-Benz EQS in every conceivable way, especially in length. But gaps are a lot closer in height and especially the wheelbase as the two electric sedans are very closely matched. As for styling, both sedans have their own direction with the EQS going for an ultra smooth and simplistic philosophy. The i7 on the other hand is quite radical which, lets just say is splitting opinions everywhere.

Powertrains 

Things get very interesting for the two flagship electric sedans. While the i7’s dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain produces 21PS more than the EQS, the latter has 110Nm more torque. Also, the i7’s additional grunt doesn’t translate into performance off the line as the EQS is four tenths quicker, but the i7 has a higher electronically-limited top speed. 

As for what juices up these electric motors, the EQS gains the upper hand here, with the larger battery pack, translating to more range. It’s also capable of handling a bit more kilowatts in fast charging which translates to a faster charging time than the i7 as well. In fact, its 450+trim offers a whole lot more range at 780km, but it comes at a cost of losing the all-wheel drivetrain and settling for a less potent single-motor RWD 334PS electric motor.

Performance Trims

Sure, we still have to wait until 2023 until BMW unleashes the spicier i7 M70 xDrive variant, but the Bavarian carmaker gave enough tidbits on the powertrain to make a comparison with the AMG EQS 53. But it still does fall a fair bit behind in all departments. 

So on paper, the Mercedes-Benz EQS and BMW i7 have their own unique advantages and drawbacks. The i7 gains the edge in size and gets a more potent powertrain in standard configuration. But it's the EQS that has the upper hand in what matters the most about EVs, its range and charging capabilities. 

While there's no word yet on when BMW will bring the i7 to India, it’ll likely happen in 2023  at prices likely starting from Rs 2.5 crore (ex-showroom). What we do know is that Mercedes-Benz is slated to bring the EQS to India later this year and will be the carmaker’s first locally manufactured EV.