The EQS was Mercedes-Benz’s first electric sedan in the United States, and it joins the automaker’s lineup as a full-fledged flagship alongside the gas-powered S-Class.

Mercedes offers three main configurations for the 2023 EQS: EQS 450+, a new EQS 450 4Matic model, and EQS 580 4Matic. Each configuration is available in three trims: Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle. The configuration determines the powertrain output, while the trim levels designate equipment and options.

Standard features with the Premium trim include a Burmester surround-sound system, 64-color ambient interior lighting, a panoramic sunroof, and ten degrees of rear-axle steering. Also included are an augmented video navigation system, LED exterior lighting, a parking sensor system, automatic emergency braking, a surround-view camera system, and more.

The Exclusive trim adds four-zone climate controls, an in-cabin fragrance system, cabin air purification, and multi-contour seats with massage. The top Pinnacle trim includes all of that, plus heated and ventilated rear seats, rear wireless charging, luxury rear head restraints, and power rear seats with memory function.

Mercedes offers its impressive Hyperscreen system in the new EQS. It forms a near-continuous 56-inch long display and is comprised of three separate screens: A 12.3-inch passenger touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a 17.7-inch main touchscreen. The whole system runs on the latest MBUX infotainment interface, which brings over-the-air (OTA) updates and much-improved voice controls. Passengers can interact with the system through voice, touch, and touchpad controls.

EQS powertrains come in three flavors. The EQS 450+ comes with 329 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque, the EQS 580 4Matic gets 516 horsepower and 631 pound-feet of torque, and the top AMG EQS delivers 649 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. The range estimates vary, but the EQS 450+ is the most efficient model in the series, rated at 350 miles of range. The EQS 580 returns 340 miles.

Using fast charging, the EQS can recover 70 percent of battery power in a little over half an hour. Charging from 10 to 100 percent takes more than 11 hours using Level 2 home charging speeds.

The EQS hasn’t received full crash-test results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but the extensive standard driver aids should help its chances. Features like blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control are typically held back in added-cost options packages, so the EQS brings decent value, at least when it comes to safety tech.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS competes against the Audi e-tron, Porsche Taycan, and Tesla Model S. Pricing starts at $105,450 for the base EQS 450+ and ranges to $127,000. It’s worth noting that, with all the available options and upgrades, many EQS buyers will increase the price of their cars by many thousands of dollars.