If the saying goes that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then in the case of Mercedes’ electric flagship EQS, it’s more than obvious that most of those beholders have poor eyesight. Or they’re simply not fans of giant, luxurious jelly beans. I’ll admit that I don’t think the EQS is bad in person at all – but hey, I’m clearly in a small, weird minority. It may not have the imposing presence of the S-Class, but the EQS was never intended to be a direct successor to the legendary king of the road. Perhaps we’ve been a little too harsh on it?
But while the aerodynamic “low drag, high range” design is certainly a practical and logical choice, most buyers don’t seem to care. Surprisingly, there’s nothing that excites luxury sedan drivers more than the feeling of riding in a giant drop of water, right?
Why isn't EQS impressing customers?
Mercedes design chief, Gordon Wagener, admitted to Autocar that they EQS-u may have been a bit ahead of their time: »EQS "It was launched a decade too early," he said, stressing that buyers simply weren't ready for such bold lines. But let's be real - the car has been on the market for four years, and it's still met with more frowns and confused looks than superlatives.
In fact, Mercedes now realizes that the problem isn’t just the premature future, but also the vehicle’s identity. Wagener admits that the EQS should have been positioned differently from the start: “They should have presented it as a futuristic CLS or S-Class Coupé, something like that.” In other words: the mistake was to present it as something completely new. Who would have thought that conservative S-Class buyers don’t like radical changes?
A new era: Goodbye EQ, welcome the united Mercedes family!
Mercedes is now preparing to fix the mistakes. It has finally become clear to them that it might be better if electric cars do not differ in appearance from their traditional brothers. Moreover, they will unify the design on all models, regardless of the drive. You know, similar to how BMW decided years ago that people might not really want the screaming announcement that they are driving an electric vehicle.
The new CLA is already visually practically the same, whether it is powered by petrol or electricity, and the electric GLC will not even get the EQC designation. So the EQ days are coming to an end – thank God, because it was already difficult to remember all those acronyms. And the best part of it all? The electric G-Class is already called the G580 with EQ technology. Fewer acronyms, less confusion, fewer worried looks in the parking lot.
Is the image really to blame, or are customers simply not ready for electricity?
Wagener tried to defend himself in a previous interview with ABC News, saying that the EQS's design "makes sense and is very advanced." The problem is more in the perception of customers, who see electric cars as electronic devices and classic internal combustion engines as Swiss watches. I don't know about you, but I'd rather drive a luxury "Swiss watch" than a smartwatch on four wheels.
Mercedes has already tried to bring the EQS closer to the S-Class by installing that famous “radiator grille,” which is actually a grille without a radiator, which is about as useful as sunglasses at night. But improvements are still on the way: a new EQS facelift is in the works, which will look more like the new CLA with lights enriched with the iconic Mercedes three-pointed star.
In any case, the EQS will apparently remain on the market for at least a few more years, as a successor in the form of an electric S-Class is not expected before 2030. Let's hope that by then buyers will be more inclined towards automotive water droplets - or at least that Mercedes will find the right recipe for a more convincing jelly candy.
Until then, we will definitely be watching how Mercedes corrects its "premature" mistakes - if nothing else, at least we have a few more interesting stories to tell.
What do you think, dear readers? Is the Mercedes EQS really too early for our taste or just mispackaged? Share your opinion with us in the comments and don't forget to share the article with your friends to see who has better taste in "car jelly candies"!
