Tour the luxurious interior of Mercedes-Benz's $141,000 Tesla rival, which has 4 screens, massaging seats, and a fingerprint scanner
Tim Levin
The Mercedes-Benz EQS 580.Tim Levin/Insider
- I drove the EQS, Mercedes-Benz's first electric car for the US set to take on the Tesla Model S.
- It stuns with a screen-filled and immensely comfortable interior.
Some electric cars are all about affordability, quickness, or range.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
But in Mercedes-Benz's new EQS, a mind-blowing interior full of luxurious touches and tech features steals the show.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The company recently lent me a $141,000 EQS 580 to get a closer look at the new rival to Tesla's Model S.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Here's a full tour of what you get inside the battery-powered version of Mercedes-Benz's famed S-Class sedan.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Slip inside and you're cradled by comfy leather seats that have massaging, cooling, and heating functions.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The seat controls are on the door and feel super sturdy.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It doesn't take long to notice that everything inside the EQS feels supremely high-end and well-built.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The turbine-style air vents swivel smoothly and the knurled-metal dial that controls the windshield wipers turns with a satisfying click.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The flat-bottomed steering wheel is thick and substantial.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
There's an elegant wood panel that slides away to reveal cupholders and a smartphone-charging center.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Nearby you'll find the car's start button, a button for selecting drive modes, and some extra controls for the media player.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Mercedes also included a fingerprint scanner. It allows different drivers to hop in, scan their fingerprint, and have all the car's settings exactly how they like them.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The central storage cubby in my test car was covered in suede.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Ambient lighting strips are scattered throughout the interior. Passengers can choose from 64 colors or multicolor options.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
One nice touch: A slim piece of trim weaves its way, almost unbroken, around the entire cockpit.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The star of the show is the 56-inch "Hyperscreen." It brings the wow factor with three distinct displays housed under a single sheet of glass.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The driver gets a digital instrument cluster that can be configured in a bunch of different ways.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The center screen lets you navigate to a destination, find charging stations, and play around with tons of vehicle settings. It's remarkably intuitive and responsive to taps.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It also houses the climate controls, which permanently live in a panel toward the bottom of the screen.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
When the car senses a passenger in the front seat, it switches on the third screen.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It lets passengers plot a route or change the music without having to mess around with the main touchscreen.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
There's also a head-up display that projects speed, cruise-control settings, and turn-by-turn directions onto the windshield. So you don't have to pay attention to the screens all the time if you don't want to.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
If this all feels like information overload, don't fret. The Hyperscreen is optional and the EQS comes standard with a more modest display.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
The back seats have plenty of legroom and headroom. Plus the "Executive Rear Seating Package" on my test car added a ton of extra goodies.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Back-seat passengers get their own climate controls and air vents.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
That's no surprise in a car of this caliber.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Fold down the center armrest, and things start to get a bit more exciting.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
There you'll find a touchscreen that adjusts things like the massaging seats, media player, and ambient lighting.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
It's removable.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Inside the armrest, there's a wireless phone charger.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Back-seat passengers also get squishy little pillows for napping.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Dual sunroofs add to a sense of openness in the cabin.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
Overall, the EQS 580 is a quiet, comfortable, and exceedingly pleasant place to be — if you can afford it.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580. Tim Levin/Insider
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