2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Interior Redefines EV Luxury

Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to reveal its EQS all-electric flagship in a matter of weeks. Ahead of the big debut, the German automaker has shown off the EQS’ interior, in addition to confirming some of the car’s specs.

The EQS will serve as the all-electric equivalent of the S-Class, crowning what will eventually be a whole range of Merc EVs. To solidify its place at the top, the EQS will be launching with a dizzying level of tech, not least of which is the 56-inch Hyperscreen, which Merc first showed off in January.

Hyperscreen seamlessly blends three screens under one curved glass panel, with an instrument panel, central infotainment, and a front-passenger control screen. It’s the ultimate endgame in the digital real-estate race: you can’t go bigger than pillar-to-pillar. The system runs the latest version of MBUX, including the “Hey Mercedes” virtual assistant. Passengers in the back seat will be able to interact with the assistant as well in the EQS. Mercedes also states the system will be capable of over-the-air updates.

If Hyperscreen isn’t enough information for you, the EQS also features a head-up display. An available 15-speaker Burmester sound system boasts 710 watts of power. A HEPA filter is also part of the package, which Merc says results in 99.65-percent less particles in the interior. Two seat options will be available, sport and comfort; the latter’s design is inspired by the simple look of folding paper onto itself.

With so much of the dashboard space dedicated to Hyperscreen, it’s refreshing to see how smoothly Mercedes has integrated it into the overall design. A set of turbine-style air vents anchor the screen on either side, while the slimline central vents align with the trim that wraps around the cabin. Ambient lighting peeks out from all around the panel, giving it a floating appearance. Models without Hyperscreen adopt a setup straight out of the new S-Class, with a 12.3-inch instrument panel and waterfall-like 12.8-inch central touchscreen. Even in this configuration, though, the EQS interior is cohesive. There’s a clear connection to current Merc models, but it’s a simpler, calmer take.

The EQS’ interior is a new take on luxury, one that could make everything else feel more than a little outdated when it starts showing up on public roads this year.

Thanks to the EV drivetrain, Mercedes’ interior design team was able to carve out a sizeable storage shelf between the front seats. Back-seat passengers enjoy a nearly-flat floor, as well.

Speaking of the electric bits, Mercedes confirmed at least one of the available EQS battery packs. The top-level setup will feature a dozen lithium-ion modules, totalling 108 kWh. Mercedes is targeting a range of over 700 km (435 miles) on the WLTP cycle; figure on a slightly lower number in North America.

Helping the EQS hit that sort of range is a truly slippery exterior design. According to Mercedes, the EQS has a drag coefficient of just 0.20, one of the lowest figures ever for a production car—and better than both the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. The interior reveal did give us more hints of the exterior, either through scale-model mockups or camouflaged testers.