Our spy photographers have snapped the new Mercedes-AMG EQS 63 in less camouflage, ahead of its expected debut later this year.
Mercedes-AMG will crank the dial on the EQS, in an effort to make it a competitor for the new Tesla Model S Plaid. The most powerful version could have as much as 560Nm.
These new images also confirm the performance version of the pure-electric luxury limo will receive the same styling tweaks as Mercedes’s combustion-engined AMG models.
Revisions include a new front bumper, (with the same intakes and splitter as the AMG GT), some reshaped side skirts and a new rear end, complete with some new vents behind the wheels and a more aggressive diffuser. The tailgate has sprouted a ducktail spoiler.
Underneath what little cladding remains on the EV’s nose, we also expect to find a stylised version of Mercedes’s AMG-specific Panamerica radiator grille. Gorden Wagner, the brand’s chief designer, gave us a hint towards the car’s styling at the reveal of the regular EQS earlier this month.
He said: “There will be similar differentiation as you know it from other AMG models, which of course have the Panamericana grille with the vertical bars, so it could be likely that we do something similar for an electric car.”
The similarities with Mercedes-AMG’s petrol range should continue inside, with the EQS receiving sports seats, a new sports steering wheel and some dedicated AMG displays for its enormous 55.5-inch Hyperscreen MBUX infotainment system.
We’re still yet to receive a detailed breakdown of the AMG EQS range, although Mercedes has confirmed that its future, pure-electric performance models will be powered by a new twin-motor, four-wheel drive powertrain.
Auto Express also understands that, like Mercedes’s petrol range, there’ll be more than one AMG version of the EQS. The company’s trademark applications support this, as Mercedes has already filed for the EQS 53, 55 and 63 badges.
The fastest variant will be the AMG 63. It should have the same 560kW output confirmed by Mercedes at the reveal of the regular EQS, which it says will provide a 0–100km/h of “well under four seconds” and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.
However, there’s still some space in the line-up. An AMG EQS with around 450kW would slot neatly between current EQS 580 4MATIC and the eventual AMG 63 variant, potentially becoming the brand’s first pure-electric AMG 53 model.
Mercedes will also address the issue of sound (or lack thereof) on its new AMG EVs, with what it calls the “AMG Sound Experience.” The system sends a synthesised sound through the car’s stereo and feeds signals to a shaker and a sound generator, to make up for the lack of a combustion engine note.
There’ll be some modifications to the EQS’s chassis, too, which will allow the EV to handle the extra grunt from the AMG-tuned powertrain. Adaptive air suspension will feature and, behind the wheels of our spied test mules, we can see some larger AMG-branded calipers and cross-drilled brake discs.
Mercedes has also confirmed that every version of the AMG EQS will feature an upgraded wiring harness, which has been designed to handle the extra current of the larger motors.
Luke Wilkinson