Mercedes-Benz EQS: It could be cheaper than the S Class

• The EQS is the flagship electric vehicle for Mercedes

• It will be the electrified counterpart to the S Class

• Base price for the EQS will be about $8,700 less than the base price of the S Class in the US, a similar strategy could be used in Canada

Mercedes-Benz has begun the electrification of its lineup around the world, and the EQS will be the flagship of its new electric vehicles.

The EQS is a luxurious sedan that is offered in two versions, the EQS 450+ and the EQS 580 4MATIC. It is destined to be the electric counterpart to the gasoline powered S Class, which has been the brand’s most expensive sedan for many decades.

To power the EQS, Mercedes developed a 108 kWh battery which will feed a 329 horsepower, rear-mounted motor in the EQS 450+ and two motors, one on each axle, producing a total of 516 horsepower in the EQS 580 4MATIC. EPA range estimates are not yet available for any of the two models.

To facilitate the launch of the EQS and to convince buyers to adopt it, Mercedes-Benz priced the new EQS about $8,700 less than the base model S Class in the United States. The cheapest EQS will start at $103,360 while the least expensive S Class commands $112,150.

Since a similar positioning between the two models has been established in Europe, it is likely the EQS will also be cheaper than the S Class in Canada.

This strategy should help the company lure buyers away from the S Class and towards the EQS, which it will have to do soon if it wants to reach its goal of becoming an entirely electric brand by 2030.

Because the North American launch of the EQC crossover was cancelled, after having been postponed for a year, the EQS will be Mercedes-Benz’s first fully electric car sold this side of the Atlantic when it arrives in showrooms in the fall of 2021.