Approximately eight months after the EQS’ entry into our market, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has now unveiled the new EQS 500 4MATIC variant for the fully-electric sedan, which will be superseding the existing EQS 450+ as the sole offering here on our shores.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC will be fully assembled in the company’s production plant in Pekan, Pahang, as the marque’s first EV to be locally assembled here in Malaysia.
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Pricing for the Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC starts from RM648,888, on-the-road, without insurance, and inclusive of the government’s EV tax exemption, making it RM50k cheaper than the outgoing model.
In contrast to the outgoing 450+ variant, the new Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC boasts a dual electric motor set-up – one on each axle – with a total output of 330 kW (449 hp) and 828 Nm of torque. Those figures translate to a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.8 seconds, and a top speed limited at 210 km/h.
The motors are paired to the same battery pack as before, but software tweaks have raised its usable energy content from 107.9 kWh up to now 108.4 kWh. Despite that, the switch to two motors instead of one has resulted in a lower – but still impressive – range of 696 km based on the WLTP test cycle.
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To charge, an 11 kW on-board AC charger lets you top up the battery from 10-100% in roughly 10 hours. Alternatively, DC fast charging is also supported at up to 200 kW, and a charge from 20-80% takes approximately 31 minutes.
Thanks to its unique “One-Bow” silhouette, the Mercedes-Benz EQS is the most aerodynamic vehicle currently in production, with a drag coefficient of 0.20 Cd. The electric power consumption is rated at 21.3 – 17.6 kWh/100km.
In terms of specifications, the new CKD Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC loses out on the AMG body kit that the 450+ had, instead replaced with the less aggressive-looking Electric Art line exterior kit. The wheels have also been downsized from 21-inch to a set of 20-inch five-spoke light alloy wheels.
Aside from these visual differences, however, the rest of the EQS’ kit remains unchanged from before. The Digital Light matrix headlights are still standard equipment here, and on the inside, the new Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC also comes as standard with the MBUX Hyperscreen, which combines three individual displays under a single pane of glass spanning across the entire dashboard.
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Safety kit on the Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC is also unchanged from before, with the Driving Assistance Plus Package coming as standard. The suite of advanced driver assistance features includes adaptive cruise control with automatic stop-go functionality, active lane keeping assist, active steering assist, lane departure prevention, autonomous emergency braking, and evasive manouevre support.
Thanks to the always-on cellular connectivity of the car, the Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC will receive over-the-air software updates over time, and you’ll also be able to monitor the vehicle’s interior remotely when parked through the Mercedes me app, as part of the Urban Guard vehicle protection suite.
The locally-assembled Mercedes-Benz EQS 500 4MATIC will be available from mid-March onwards, at a price of RM648,888. Included in the price is a standard four-year unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty, and a 10-year/250,000 km warranty for its EV battery.
