Configurator challenge: Mercedes-AMG EQS53 – Drive

Personalization is all the rage right now, but the choice can be seriously confusing. In our configurator challenge, we let the Conduct team loose on a manufacturer’s website to create their ideal suit for a certain model.

This week’s challenge centers on the Mercedes-AMG EQS53, the first high-performance electric Mercedes to be sold in Australia – and one of the most expensive, with a base price of $328,400 plus road charges.

Let us know what your ideal 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQS53 would look like in the comments below (build yours here), and which cars you’d like us to configure next.

I did Bruce Wayne luge with my EQS53; Obsidian Black with AMG Night Package and required 22-inch wheels. I think the black emphasizes the techno nature of the EQS, and reaffirms it like a limo…

To balance the yin and yang, I opted for the light Neva gray interior with open-pore walnut trim. I also opted for the AMG Dynamic Plus package and the augmented reality head-up display.

So the EQS showcases the sleek modernity of the black AMG on the outside, but a classic Mercedes combination of light leather and wood on the inside.

Total price: $342,770 plus road costs

Maybe it’s just me, but I consider the EQS to be one of Mercedes-Benz’s most unfortunate cars, so I did my best to hide its lumpen shape with a coat of Obsidian paint. Black.

Points to AMG for the 22-inch multi-paddle wheels, they’re gorgeous. For some reason MB will only let you pack red calipers with tinted windows on the back (because those two things are supposed to be related), so I’ll leave mine anodized silver unseen.

Oddly enough, for an AMG product, there are no outrageous red or yellow trim options. If you’re adventurous, there’s a brown and gray hospital waiting room combo, but if you’re like me and you’re not, there’s black and gray as seen here . This pairs with carbon fiber trim on the console and doors.

Beyond that there’s not much else to add – other than the AMG Dynamic Plus package which boosts outputs to 560kW and 1020Nm, of course. Despite a relatively short list of options, that’s still a $13,000 bill on top of the already hefty $328,400 entry price.

In a sea of ​​Mercedes-Benz silver, white is a good way to stand out and draw attention to the electrification of the EQS. But it needs to pop a bit, so I opted for the optional spoked wheels.

It’s the same inside, without needing to go anywhere other than basic and black, with a touch of carbon fiber for impact.

As for extra expenses, there’s no need or reason to spend an extra $8,000 on slightly more surprising numbers.

Call me boring, but I think the EQS53 looks its best in solid white, so I opted for the only standard exterior paint option: Polar White.

I also added the AMG Night Pack ($3990) to have privacy glass in the back. To inject an extra pop of color, I upgraded the brakes to bright yellow AMG ceramic composite units ($9990).

Inside, I loved the crisp, clean look of the Neva gray and Balao brown nappa leather interior, although it’s a completely ridiculous choice considering I have a one-year-old. But a girl can dream.

I can’t get past a good wood finish, so I added the walnut inlays, then imagined my driving experience with the MBUX Augmented Reality Head-Up Display ($2690).

Even without factoring in expensive interior trim changes, I’ve already racked up over $345,000 before road costs, so I better call it quits.

My EQS53 is finished in Sodalite Blue Metallic (a no-cost option), while the exterior gets the AMG Night Package – a $3990 option. This adds gloss black AMG exterior accents, along with 22-inch matte black/silver AMG light-alloy wheels and red brake calipers.

Inside, I chose black/space gray AMG nappa leather upholstery, with open-pore brown walnut wood trim. Interior options include the $9,290 Energizing Comfort Pack, which includes heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, rear seat entertainment system, two wireless headphones, Energizing Pack with wellness programs, Energizing app Coach and an Energizing Air Control Plus air purifier.

Other highlights include ceramic composite brakes ($9990), an augmented reality head-up display ($2690) and AMG carbon fiber interior inserts ($2990).

In total, I added $28,950 of options to the starting price of $328,400 plus EQS road charges.

Like my colleague Kez, I think the looks of the EQS53 leave a lot to be desired. That’s why I decided you should do everything to distract yourself.

I’ve always been a big fan of Benz’s Hyacinth Red ($1990), which covers the exterior, although the interior choice was more difficult. It had a nice light gray color that was reminiscent of the mid-2000s S-Class and CL-Class, but I wasn’t so much of a fan of the brown color it automatically picked for the center console and dash. In the end I went directly to the black upholstery which is quite harmless.

There are relatively few option boxes to tick, but I opted for the $9990 carbon-ceramic brakes, $2990 carbon-fiber inlays and $2690 boosted heads-up display. I’m very excited about this latest selection which easily puts your navigation instructions right in your face on the windshield.

I also selected the $7690 AMG Dynamic Plus package which unlocks higher outputs from the twin motors because, what good are EVs if not the ultimate warp-speed straight-line acceleration?

I decided to change things up from the usual choices of black, white and silver by choosing Nautic Blue Metallic – unique but equally difficult to keep clean. I also think it’s one of the best blues, but that’s just me.

Instead of 22 inch pothole detectors I chose the 21 because they both look better and offer a little more side protection for the roads this car will be used on most of the time. time.

Because I tend to eat while driving, the white seats are a no-no, but I feel like pairing black leather with a bit of brown adds a unique look, even though it matches to carbon fiber. You need to save every gram in a two-ton electric vehicle.

There are heated outboard rear seats in case I find myself in the back seat, and a heated steering wheel for when I’m not.

You also need to have the AMG Dynamic Plus package and high-performance ceramic brakes in case the bug of the day bites.

It’s a bit of a wait, but AMG’s first production electric car – not quite its first; it was the 2013 SLS Electric Drive supercar – arrived in Australia.

Unsurprisingly, it’s not cheap, priced under $330,000 before road charges. But if you’re going to spend that much on an AMG electric limo… what are some optional extras in your back pocket?

That’s why my AMG EQS53 setup is almost fully loaded, with a few exceptions. On top of the base price of $328,400, I added the AMG Dynamic Plus package at $7690 for the total power output of 560 kW, plus $3990 for the AMG Night package, which includes nicer 22 wheels inches (which I would opt for regardless), black accents and red brake calipers.

Finished in Manufaktur Hyacinth Red metallic (a $1990 option, unsurprisingly), my EQS53 also includes the augmented reality head-up display ($2690), carbon fiber interior inlays ($2990), on-board charger from 22 kW ($2490) and an AC wallbox for my garage ($1450).

I don’t need the $9290 Energizer Package, or the $9990 carbon-ceramic brakes; I’m sure the steel brakes will do the job well enough.

In total, that’s $351,690 plus road charges — or probably close to $375,000 by car, once all government fees are included.