REVIEW | The Mercedes EQS SUV is a pod of electric tranquillity

By now we are all on board with futurists' notions of what cars will become. Silent, battery-powered, autonomous pods with lounge-like interiors crafted from recyclable materials.

If you consider yourself a petrolhead, the idea sounds depressing. But if you pare back those romantic ideas of car ownership and focus on the hassles of driving, this concept of pod-type mobility does not seem that bad.

Look around you in traffic; most people are texting instead of focusing on driving the vehicle. If the clean, autonomous pod has the capability to free road congestion, enable safer A to B movement while allowing occupants to catch up on their social media news feeds and slash emissions, surely it cannot be all that bad?

And those who still enjoy the pastime of driving will turn it into a recreational activity of sorts. Some have opined that the car as we knew it could become like the horse. Hands-on motoring might end up being a specialist hobby for weekends.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is a present-day foretaste of what luxury mobile lounges in the future could resemble. Remember the S-Class, historically, was always an agenda setter of next generation technologies that eventually trickled down to mainstream. This EQS is the electrified, sport-utility vehicle flagship of the Mercedes-EQ range and so it also is imbued with the forward thinking spirit associated with the S-moniker.

Unlock the vehicle and its retractable door handles pop outward. Opening the door reveals a spacious, uncluttered cabin, with wide, leather-lined chairs and, for rear occupants, ample legroom to stretch out. This is the sort of vehicle large people feel small in; so great is the extent of head and shoulder room. Ideally, you want to be chauffeured in the EQS SUV.

Our test unit featured the distinctive Hyperscreen which, as the name implies, relates to screen capability. You get three screens across the dashboard — a huge central set-up handling infotainment, one handling instrument cluster duties and another in front of the passenger.

We first had a go in the EQS earlier this month at a Mercedes-Benz event in Sandton, which involved a 5km stint around the suburbs. It was not enough time to enjoy full immersion and we came away a little cold after the interaction. A test unit was availed to us at the weekend and we managed a decent 170km of driving.

Sealed inside the cabin there is virtually zero intrusion from the outside. You could almost describe it as sensory-depriving. This makes for a serene experience and highway cruising in particular is enjoyable. The air-sprung EQS delivers a cushy, cloud-like ride quality that would make a long-distance jaunt effortless.

“By long-distance how far do you mean?” is the question readers would ask. Mercedes-Benz quotes a range of more than 600km, a decent figure and up there with its chief rival from BMW, the iX.

Some might recall that last year we spent four months with the R3.3m Audi RS E-Tron GT, the first electric vehicle (and most expensive vehicle ever) to join our long-term test fleet. It proved cross-country stints were possible without too much anxiety, using the public charging infrastructure on offer. It also set the bar high in acceleration, with its road-shredding performance.

Similarly-priced at just under R2.8m, the EQS 450 4Matic feels brisk, but is definitely geared towards serenity rather than hair-ruffling sprint times. The brand says it will take six seconds to hustle from standstill to 100km/h.

Output from the electric set-up is 265kW and 800Nm, while the battery capacity is a sizeable 108.4kWh. Our average electricity consumption was 22kWh/100km, which is not far off the 19.9kWh/100km best figure claimed by the brand. For well-heeled fans of the Mercedes-Benz brand, the EQS SUV might represent an off-centre alternative to the traditional engine-powered flagships previously deemed to be the last word in luxury.

Nowadays, luxury also needs to have a conscience and the EQS conveys that pretence rather well.