Updated Mercedes EQS, with standing star, to hit Korea within the year

Home > Business > Industry

Updated Mercedes EQS, with standing star, to hit Korea within the year

Published: 23 Oct. 2024, 15:14 Updated: 23 Oct. 2024, 15:33

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

The EQS was first unveiled to the Korean press on Wednesday. It will be introduced in the local market within the year. [SARAH CHEA]

SINDELFINGEN, Germany — The upgraded Mercedes-Benz EQS will finally arrive in Korea within the year, packing a classic vibe with the traditional standing star on the hood and a bigger battery, offering the company a chance to reverse its EV sales fortunes in the country.

Mercedes revealed the upgraded EQS electric sedan for the Korean press on Tuesday during a tour of its vehicle safety test center, which was first unveiled for the global markets in April.

The Korean launch has been decided for this year, though the specific timeline has not yet been set.

The front fascia was completely overhauled by bringing back the standing hood ornament, which had never been seen on any Mercedes electric vehicle so far.

The latest EQS electric sedan [SARAH CHEA]

A faux grille similar to the traditional S-Class gives it a more old-school look closer to gasoline Mercedes sedans.

"The electric art line that looks like a radiator grille in the front fascia is for customers who want the tradition and symbolism the traditional S-Class had," said Anna Stejsel, manager of the EQS at Mercedes-Benz AG.

The driving range has been sharply increased by 82 kilometers (51 miles), with the battery capacity going up to 118 kilowatt-hours from the previous 108.4-kilowatt hours. Now, the EQS sedan is able to travel up to 822 kilometers on a single charge, based on the European WLTP standard, up 11 percent from the previous version.

Interior of the Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

The certificated range for the Korean market has not been confirmed yet.

The new regenerative braking software makes the car achieve greater energy recovery, with the application of the disconnect unit raising energy efficiency by 16 percent, Mercedes said.

The driving assistance function has been updated. On a highway with a speed limit of 140 kilometers per hour, the vehicle can automatically change lanes with a full guarantee of safety. If the car in front is driving at a lower speed, the EQS automatically overtakes it.

The rear seat can recline up to 38 degrees and allows the rear passenger to fold the front passenger seat forward for improved legroom. The angle of the backrest for the rear seats can be also adjusted from 27 to 36 degrees at the touch of a button.

The exact specs of the model coming to Korea will be announced later with the launch.

Mercedes may be looking to the new and improved EQS to rejuvenate sales in Korea, which nose-dived after an electric EQE model exploded in an underground parking garage in August, damaging as many as 880 other vehicles in the garage and affecting 1,600 households in the apartment complex.