2022 AMG EQS: Tesla rival worth its hefty price

Consumers purchase vehicles for nearly as many reasons and varieties of cars and trucks. Budget, fuel economy, brand preference, dependability and an intangible like status are priorities. The 2022 AMG EQS has qualities from several categories, it’s also a vehicle purchased simply because a buyer who doesn’t need justification wants it.

Introduced about a year ago, the full-size luxury sedan is the first electric offered by the AMG line, the separate but connected, performance-oriented lineup of vehicles affiliated with Mercedes. It’s not marketed so directly, but it’s the German manufacturer’s response to Tesla.

It has many features also available in the Tesla lineup, but it’s offered by a nearly 100-year-old carmaker and without the controversy of the polarizing e-machines introduced by founder Elon Musk in 2008.

The 2022 AMG EQS is available in three versions. The 450+ has a single electric motor and rear-wheel drive. The 580 4Matic has two electric motors and is all-wheel drive. The top-line AMG EQS pushes the extreme limits of performance for a daily driver. It has 649 horsepower with a booster function that can briefly expand the engine output to 751 horsepower. The result: a 0-to-60 miles per hour effort in 3.4 seconds.

Additionally impressive, the EQS has a range touted as 325 miles. As the range decreases the remaining mileage is showcased when the push button engine engages. The same number is presented in smaller-sized digits in the gauge cluster It’s accompanied by a small number, the minimum range remaining if the vehicle is used in less efficient situations.

The German carmaker took awhile to join the electric vehicle parade, but the EQS is now firmly positioned in the mix of stellar luxury EVs. The group as includes the Audi e-tron GT, Lucid Air, Porsche Taycan and the Tesla Model S.

Beyond its performance highlights, the sedan drives in accordance with its relatives’ reputation. The EQS is as quiet as any luxury sedan, it has sports car maneuvering qualities and powers along the open road with a prideful presence. Its exterior appearance, particularly the matted Selenite Grey paint mated with 22-inch tires and multi-spoke wheels, gives the sedan its moxie.

The interior has what might be expected, roomy, luxury Nappa leather seating, multi-position seating and overall comfort.

The most striking is the EQS Infotainment system. It has a standard tablet-style screen, but the optional Hyperscreen shouts techno-cool. It’s three-screens-one-one and it extends 56 inches across the dashboard. It redefines automotive technology by offering a central driver’s side gauge cluster, a monstrous central touchscreen and a passenger-side touchscreen.

Even among car buyers who believe more stuff is too much and potentially detrimental, the offering is impressive artwork. And there’s more. The 2022 AMG EQS technology wonderment also includes a finger scanner to activate individual driver profiles. There’s an augmented-reality navigation approach in the head-up display. And the “Hey Mercedes” voice-command system complements the interior top-line, IMAX-like presentation.

For audiophiles and other device enthusiasts, six USB-C ports (and a USB adapter cord) are positioned around the cabin. The Burmester audio system transforms the plush sedan into a private concert hall on wheels.

The EQS offers luxury and performance with pretension and it’s reflected in its price. The MSRP is $147,500. The carbon fiber braking system adds $5,450. Upscale paint and leather adds $3,250. The multi-spoke wheels add $1,850 and laminated safety glass adds $1,010. A half-dozen odds and ends push the tally to $159,990.

But forget the price and comparison shopping. Buy the EQS and celebrate without reservation. It’s nobody else’s business.