Mercedes-AMG is ramping up production of its first all-electric sedan.
Mass production of the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4Matic+ has started in Factory 56 at Mercedes-Benz’s Sindelfingen plant in Germany.
This factory currently also produces the regular Mercedes-Benz EQS, the long-wheelbase S-Class, and the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
The AMG EQS 53 is expected to touch down on Australian soil in early 2022 as the only EQS model initially available.
Other EQS variants are expected to arrive later in 2022 per Mercedes-Benz Australia’s rollout strategy.
Mass-production of regular EQS models commenced in May 2021 and the single-motor EQS 450+ and the dual-motor EQS 580 have already gone on sale in Europe.
Local pricing has yet to be revealed for the 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 and will be announced closer to its launch.
The high-performance EQS is powered by dual electric motors and sends torque through an all-wheel drive system.
It produces 484kW of power and 950Nm of torque and has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds.
Opting for the AMG Dynamic Plus package ups peak power to 560kW and peak torque to 1020Nm for a 3.4-second sprint to 100km/h.
The package also gets a unique ‘Performance’ sound, with “onboard shakers and loudspeakers mak[ing] the power of the electric motors clear even when stationary”.
Regardless of which EQS model you opt for, all pack a 107.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is good for a range of 580km on the WLTP test cycle in the AMG EQS 53, and 770km on the WLTP test cycle for the EQS 450+ and EQS 580.
An 11kW onboard charger is standard, and a 22kW unit is optional. Hooked up to a public DC fast charger, the EQS will charge at speeds of up to 200kW.
The AMG EQS 53 also features standard air suspension and rear-wheel steering, while its drag coefficient is a slippery 0.23.
415mm front and 378mm rear brakes are standard, back by a regenerative braking system capable of operating at up to 300kW. That might sound like overkill, but the EQS weighs more than 2700kg.
The way to tell the AMG EQS apart from the regular model is by looking at its 21- or 22-inch alloy wheels, as well as its unique rear spoiler, front splitter, sill panels and grille.
Inside the AMG EQS 53 gets synthetic leather upholstery, along with sportier trim.
It also receives as standard the huge, 141cm-wide MBUX Hyperscreen that houses the driver instrument cluster, the central infotainment touchscreen and a secondary passenger touchscreen.
When the AMG EQS 53 touches down it’ll join the EQA and EQC all-electric SUVs in the local range.
Where the EQA and EQC are built around the internal-combustion bones, the EQS is a ground-up electric car.
It debuted a bespoke electric platform that also underpins the smaller EQE, as well as the yet-to-be revealed EQS and EQE SUV models.
Mercedes-Benz also has a GLB-based EQB electric SUV coming in 2022 as well.