The end is near for the Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan as the company confirms that the S-Class flagship sedan will have ICE and EV versions when the next generation model arrives.
Slow sales of EQ models like the EQS are forcing Mercedes to change its plans
The Mercedes-Benz EQS was supposed to not only be the EV equivalent of the S-Class but also be the flagship of the company’s EQ lineup of electric vehicles with the EQS being joined by other EVs like the EQE sedan and SUV. However, sales for the EQ lineup have so far not lived up to the company’s expectations with sluggish sales and equally lukewarm demand.
This has apparently forced the company to act, with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius confirming that the next generation S-Class sedan will have two versions moving forward an ICE-powered model and an all-electric version with the latter seemingly confirming that the EQS will be axed after a single model generation.
EQS to make way for consolidated S-Class family
Among these revised plans is an all-electric version of the next-generation S-Class which would effectively make the slow-selling EQS redundant.
Kallenius’s statement came during an interview that he had with the publication Autocar where he said “There will be two S-Classes in the future—ICE and electric.” This short and simple statement seemingly confirmed that the EQS was destined for retirement with the company originally releasing it as an electrified equivalent that was supposed to bring S-Class levels to luxury to the EQ brand.
The S-Class itself getting an all-electric model would eliminate the need for the EQS as a whole but the EQS will not be disappearing that quickly with the model getting a mid-cycle refresh alongside the aforementioned four-door before the next generation S-Class rolls out and shakes up the pecking order at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Kallenius also confirmed that the EV and ICE versions of the S-Class will have similar exterior and interior designs but unlike its chief rival the BMW 7-Series, the two will have different platforms.
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EQS’s departure will open new avenues for Mercedes
Expect more of this type of consolidation to potentially take place for other models including the next-generation E-Class and its slow-selling counterpart the EQE.
The departure of the EQS would allow the company to invest more into the electrified S-Class which is expected to be underpinned by the MB.EA Large Architecture. The EV-focused platform was the subject of a recent stream of rumors that suggested the company was canceling work on the platform altogether. However, the CEO was quick to brush off these reports saying that development of the MB.EA was moving at a strong pace.
As for the ICE-powered version of the next-generation S-Class it’s rumored to be built on an updated version of the company’s existing MRA platform. Moving everything over to the S-Class itself would also allow the company to move on from persistent complaints about the EQS’s bulbous exterior styling which has always been a lingering weakness of the model as a whole. An exterior refresh the EQS received attempted to address this to a degree, but complaints still persist. It’s also unknown if a similar scheme is planned for the next-generation E-Cass with the EQE sedan also spending more time glued in showrooms than being sold to customers but if such a plan is in the works, expect it to achieve the same level of consolidation.
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