Nearly a year on from the local debut of the EQS electric luxury sedan, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has finally launched the high-performance variant, the Mercedes-AMG EQS53 4Matic+. As the first EV from Affalterbach, it comes with more power, a far sportier chassis and a more aggressive look to match.
Mercedes-AMG EQS53 Malaysia price
Given the amount of added performance, it’s no surprise that the EQS53 is quite a bit more expensive than the cooking variant. It’s priced at RM798,888, a full RM150,000 more than the locally-assembled EQS500 (the AMG model is fully imported from Germany, of course). As is typical of a Mercedes EV, the car comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and a ten-year/250,000km battery warranty.
Mercedes-AMG EQS53 performance
Even compared to the already powerful EQS500, the EQS53 is on a different level altogether when it comes to performance. It too uses dual motors that provide all-wheel drive, but here they push out an astonishing 484kW (649hp) and 950Nm of torque. That’s 154kW (207hp) and 95Nm more than the EQS500.
That’s not all—the AMG Dynamic Plus package is fitted as standard in Malaysia, which means that if you enable the Race Start mode, you get the full 560kW (751hp) as part of a boost function, along with a tree-pulling 1,020Nm. So equipped, the EQS53 sprints from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h.
To keep all this power on the ground, the EQS53 comes with AMG Ride Control+ air suspension, adaptive dampers and rear-wheel steering at up to 9º. Unique to the AMG model is an uprated braking system consisting of 415mm front discs clamped by six-pot callipers, as well as 378mm rear discs with single-pot callipers. Drivers can choose from five driving modes—Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual—through the AMG Dynamic Select menu in the infotainment screen.
Mercedes-AMG EQS range and charging
Under the EQS53 sits a slightly larger 107.4kWh battery, equipped with AMG-specific wiring to deliver as much power as possible to the motors. The extra performance means the range figure has dropped below the 600km mark, at between 513 and 571km on a single charge.
Speaking of which, the EQS53 can accept up to 200kW of DC fast charging power, which will bring the battery from 10 to 80% charge in 31 minutes and provide an additional 300km of range in 19 minutes. Alternatively, you can plug up the car to an 11kW AC wallbox, taking 11 hours and 15 minutes for a full charge.
Sportier styling as befits an AMG model
As you’d expect from an AMG model, the EQS53 gets sportier styling, dressing the streamlined sedan shape with the AMG Line package (removed from the standard EQS for local assembly) that consists of more aggressive front and rear bumpers. You also get an AMG Panamerica-style grille with vertical chrome strips on the gloss black front panel, along with a large tailgate lip spoiler and unique 21-inch matte black cross-spoke AMG alloy wheels that hide the red brake callipers.
Fitted as standard are the same high-spec Digital Light LED headlamps as the EQS500 and the Night Package that throws on gloss black exterior bits like the door mirrors and window trims.
The sporty theme continues on the inside, where you’ll find a meaty flat-bottomed steering wheel upholstered in microfibre and trimmed in carbon fibre. It’s fitted with two AMG multifunction controllers on either side, which come with their own tiny displays and control the drive modes and various powertrain and chassis settings. Adding to the driver-focused aesthetic are the grey microfibre dash and centre console trim, microfibre headlining and red stitching, as well as oodles of carbon decor panels.
You also get multi-contour sports seats at the front that come with plenty of power adjustment and memory, heating and ventilation functions. Unfortunately for the rear passengers, the EQS53 has been downgraded significantly from the EQS500—you get just a three-seater bench with no power adjustment, and you also no longer get the twin rear touchscreen monitors. The seats themselves do at least fold down now if you need to expand the already cavernous 610-litre boot.
As usual, the EQS53 comes with the enormous MBUX Hyperscreen, consisting of a 12.3-inch instrument display, a 17.7-inch OLED centre touchscreen and another 12.3-inch OLED touchscreen for the front passenger. The AMG model also comes with a Track Pace feature, which functions as a lap timer and lets the driver monitor 80 types of vehicle-specific data, such as speed and acceleration. On top of all this is the augmented reality head-up display that projects “floating” navigation directions to the windscreen.
Other bits of standard kit include four-zone automatic climate control, a Qi wireless charger, a panoramic glass roof, an Air Balance air freshener system, a hands-free powered tailgate and a 15-speaker, 710-watt Burmester 3D surround sound system. Unfortunately, you lose out on the EQS500’s fancy active ambient lighting, replaced by a much dimmer standard setup.
Full complement of driver assists
As you’d expect for the price, the EQS53 comes with a full complement of safety systems as part of the Driving Assistance Plus package. These include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go and lane centring assist to provide Level 2 semi-autonomous driving capabilities.
You also get evasive steering assist and blind spot monitoring, and in the unfortunate event of a side impact crash, Pre-Safe Impulse Side uses the seat bolsters to push you towards the centre of the car, helping to reduce injuries.
There are also plenty of features to help you when parking, including a 360-degree camera system and park assist that includes a memory feature to help park your car in your usual spot autonomously. You even get a remote parking system that will let you manoeuvre the car into a parking space using your smartphone.
Related reading
- Mercedes-AMG EQE53 Malaysia: All-electric luxury sedan with 687hp, 527km range, RM650k price tag
- Mercedes-Benz EQS500 CKD Malaysia: luxury EV gets more power and is RM50k cheaper
- Mercedes-Benz EQE350+ Malaysia: This baby EQS comes with a 669km range, priced at RM420k
- Volvo EX30: 8 things you need to know about Volvo’s smallest electric SUV
