Mercedes-Benz EQS Liftback (V297) · 1st generation EQS Liftback
V297
A 0.20 drag coefficient wrapped around an electric S-Class idea.
- Production
- 2021–present
- Range
- up to 872 km
- Body
- 5-door liftback
- Drag
- from 0.20 Cd
EQS was the first Mercedes-Benz designed from the beginning to make electric propulsion feel like the company’s flagship rather than its alternative.
The V297 launched Mercedes’s dedicated EVA2 architecture with a 3,210 mm wheelbase, a vast hatchback body and a production-car drag coefficient as low as 0.20. Rear-drive EQS 450+ and dual-motor EQS 580 4MATIC opened the range in 2021 with a usable 107.8 kWh battery, 200 kW DC charging and as much as 780 km WLTP. The 141-centimeter MBUX Hyperscreen, air suspension and optional 10-degree rear steering turned the technological argument into something occupants could see and feel.
Mercedes-AMG made EQS 53 4MATIC+ its first battery-electric series model, with as much as 560 kW. The family later expanded downward and repeatedly evolved: a 118 kWh battery and comfort update arrived for 2024 production, and a deeper 2026 facelift introduced EQS 400, revised 450+ and 580 4MATIC models with up to 872 km WLTP and optional steer-by-wire. Europe received EQS in 2021; North America began with model year 2022. That offset matters whenever calendar-year brochures and US model-year specifications are compared.
Every model.
The global rear- and all-wheel-drive range, the AMG derivative and the 2026 facelift models on the shared V297 chassis.
| Model | Model years | Chassis | Engine | Trans.Transmission | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EQS 350 | 2022–2025 | 297 | — | — | |
| EQS 400 | 2026– | 297 | — | — | |
| EQS 450+ | 2021– | 297 | — | — | |
| EQS 450 4MATIC | 2022–2025 | 297 | — | — | |
| EQS 500 4MATIC | 2022–2025 | 297 | — | — | |
| EQS 580 4MATIC | 2021– | 297 | — | — | |
| Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ | 2021–2025 | 297 | — | — |
Year by year.
From the 2021 EVA2 debut through larger batteries, a solid-state demonstrator and the 2026 facelift.
- 2021
- 15 April: EQS is presented as the first luxury model on Mercedes-Benz’s dedicated modular electric architecture.
- May: series production begins at Factory 56 in Sindelfingen; EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4MATIC are the first versions.
- September: Mercedes-AMG reveals EQS 53 4MATIC+, its first battery-electric production model; ordering opens in December.
- 2022
- North American launch as model year 2022, following the 2021 European introduction.
- EQS 350, 450 4MATIC and 500 4MATIC broaden the global range according to market.
- DRIVE PILOT conditionally automated driving and Intelligent Park Pilot become available in approved markets and locations.
- 2023
- Over-the-air additions expand MBUX, Plug & Charge and entertainment functions while the underlying V297 architecture remains unchanged.
- 2024
- A larger 118 kWh usable battery raises EQS 450+ range beyond 800 km WLTP; revised regenerative-braking software and a heat-pump strategy improve efficiency.
- A new grille treatment with chrome slats and an upright bonnet star, plus revised rear-seat padding and an optional folding front-passenger seat, shift the EQS toward traditional chauffeur-car cues.
- 2025
- February: road tests begin for a slightly modified EQS carrying a Mercedes-Benz/Factorial solid-state battery; it remains a development vehicle, not a production variant.
- 2026
- Factory 56 ramps series production of the facelifted EQS by April alongside the updated S-Class and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
- The European range becomes EQS 400, EQS 450+ and EQS 580 4MATIC, rated at 270, 300 and 430 kW respectively and up to 872 km WLTP.
- Optional steer-by-wire follows shortly after launch with a compact, flattened steering wheel; electromechanical steering remains available.
Original brochures.
Factory EQS and EQS Saloon literature, excluding the SUV.
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