Living With The Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV

The original plan was to use the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 SUV for a day-long shoot. But I took it for just under a week, and got some extensive saddle time, especially where owners are likely to use it most - the city!

The Airport Run

The night of the car’s handover involved an airport run. My parents were returning from the USA after several months, so it was fair to expect a good deal of luggage. But first, the challenge was Mumbai’s T2 parking. During peak hours, there’s a traffic jam both outside and within the parking lot.

Seeing the EQS SUV, the traffic marshal guided me to the VIP parking lane, only to discover that the lane didn’t have a FasTag scanner. Anyway, into the sea of double-parked cars, I went up to the P6 (premium parking) floor, where the jam is actually worse! Guiding this land yacht through the narrow spaces left by errant parkers was a daunting task, but the rear-wheel steering made a world of difference. You genuinely can manage similar tight lines as the compact GLA.

At the parking itself, this same feature made parking quicker, though you need to reset your mind about which line the car will follow while reversing in. The beauty of electrics is how you can peacefully enjoy your wait time in the car - no guilt of burning fuel, nor do you have to deal with the noise of airport arrivals.

Spare Me The Trouble

 Does the EQS 450 have plenty of boot space? Yes, but the space-saver spare tyre made it awkward to get two full-sized suitcases in, with the powered tailgate refusing to shut prior to a few adjustments. Fortunately, we got the bags in and were off to discover the next challenge - the parking exit lane. Perhaps cars have become much wider since this airport was made, but in a car of the EQS’s stature, the lanes feel too narrow, and I crawl to make sure no wheel gets kerbed. My old parents, exhausted from a full day of travelling across the planet, appreciate the EQS’s speciality...

Traffic Calm

Fantastic noise insulation, super comfy massaged/ventilated/heated seats, cushy ride quality and smooth performance. These variables came together to make nearly 400km of mostly city traffic driving feel only marginally taxing. Some trips involved over 2 hours of crawling to cover no more than 15km, and it still didn’t raise my blood pressure. The EQS 450 scores very high on serenity! 

Of course, I spent all the time in the seat that’ll be least used by owners - the driver’s seat. But friends and family, including luxury SUV owners were smitten by the backseat comfort. 

Why We Borrowed The Car In The First Place

For a challenge! The Navi Mumbai airport recently began operations, and we wanted to see if those leaving Pune would reach it first or if Team Mumbai stood a chance. You can subscribe to Zigwheels on YouTube for the answer. But since the Mumbai leg would be almost exclusively in terrible city traffic, I wanted a car that’d be the most relaxing for the challenge. All I can say is, it was the perfect choice for a challenge riddled with traffic, heat and noise.

Running Costs

Here’s the full breakdown:

Mercedes-EQS 450 SUV 4MATIC Stats

 Variables:

• The vehicle was not driven in Eco mode, AC set to 22 degrees with music system, seat ventilation, seat massagers and key functions being used throughout. 

• Drive was 80-20 split between city traffic and highways, respectively. More range can be extracted.

• Home charging will reduce the cost further. Public DC fast charging will be more expensive.