Gorden Wagener, chief designer at Mercedes-Benz, has gone in to bat for the EQS, saying its tepid sales may be due to marketing, positioning and timing.
Regarding its controversial streamlined shape, Mr Wagener told Autocar, “I think the EQS is probably 10 years too early.”
The design chief also believes the EQS shouldn’t have been pitched as the electric equivalent of the S-Class. He defended the EQS as a “very progressive car”, but noted “it was not originally designed as a chauffeur limousine” which typically have a “long hood” to denote its status.
“Maybe we should have marketed it differently, more like a futuristic CLS, S-Class coupe or something like that,” Mr Wagener mused.
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Despite this, the car’s 2024 facelift made the design a little bit more traditional by junking the faux grille featuring a large three-pointed star in the middle.
It was replaced by a new faux grille with multiple horizontal slats bisected by a vertical bar, mimicking the look of a traditional S-Class. There’s even a classic three-pointed star mounted as a hood ornament.
The EQS won’t head into a second generation, instead it will be replaced with an S-Class EV. Although it might feature a different platform to the petrol- and diesel-powered S-Class models, it will share styling and will use the well-established nameplate.
The controversial styling of the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, and EQS SUV will be retired when those models reach the end of their lifecycle.
Indeed, the whole EQ range will slowly sail off into the sunset. Instead of offering electric vehicles as standalone models, Mercedes-Benz will put EV drivetrains into established model lines.
The third-generation CLA, launched earlier this year, features both EV and mild-hybrid drivetrains. Similarly there will also be EV drivetrain options for the next-generation C-Class and GLC.