2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS: Affalterbach’s flagship goes electric

AMG is going full electric and here’s where it starts.

On Sunday, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS broke cover as the brand’s new flagship. It will be the most powerful, quickest version of the 2022 EQS.

While it’s not actually the first electric AMG—that distinction goes to the limited-run SLS Electric Drive—it is the first AMG for the new electric era. AMG under promised and over delivered with the AMG EQS. When Mercedes unveiled the EQS, the company said the AMG model would make up to 630 hp. Instead, it has 649 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, and a boost function increases output to 751 hp and 751 lb-ft of torque in Race Start mode via the standard AMG Dynamic Plus package. Power comes from two electric motors, one mounted on each axle, which gives the AMG EQS standard all-wheel drive.

With the boost function in Race Start mode the EQS is capable of 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph, according to Mercedes-Benz.

AMGs are known for their loud exhaust notes and AMG said it came up with a solution for that in the electric era: the sound system. Using loudspeakers and subwoofers, the EQS produces sound both inside and out of the car in two modes, “authentic” and “performance.”

The standard EQS’s 107.8-kwh battery pack powers the EQS AMG. It uses a 400-volt electrical architecture and has AMG-specific wiring for high-performance capacity. The AMG team reconfigured the EQS’s battery management system to optimize it for AMG-specific Sport and Sport+ modes. Comfort mode is configured for maximum range and efficiency. Mercedes hasn’t quoted the range for the AMG EQS model, but it’s rated at 440 miles on the European WLTP cycle and the EPA rating should be significantly lower.

An air suspension and rear-axle steering with up to 9 degrees of rotation will come standard, the former tuned by AMG with two pressure-relief valves like those found on the latest AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. The front subframe and motor mounts are specific to the AMG EQS, while the transversely mounted stabilizers, wheel carriers, and control arms are derived from other AMG models.

AMG-specific brake rotors with 6-piston front and single-piston rear calipers provide extra stopping power. Carbon-ceramic rotors will be optional.

The AMG EQS sports an understated look compared to other vehicles from Affalterbach. The plastic front panel that resides where a grille would be does its best to mimic AMG’s Panamericana grille with silver vertical strips The front splitter and side sills are coated in gloss black, while the rear bumper has a diffuser. Standard AMG-specific 21-inch wheels fill the wells, with 22-inchers optional.

Inside, AMG-specific seats feature a mix of leatherette and microfiber with red stitching, and nappa leather will be an option. The leather-wrapped AMG steering wheel comes with paddles that can control the amount of brake regeneration. The star of the interior show is the 56-inch Hyperscreen dashboard comprised of a 17.7-inch central touchscreen and dualing 12.3-inch touchscreens for the driver and front passenger all under a single pane of glass.

The AMG EQS will come standard with a long list of safety technology including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a Level-2 driver-assist system that is not hands-free.

Look for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS to hit dealers next Spring.