Drive journalists have been let loose to build their ideal spec of AMG’s first series production electric car.
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Personalization is all the rage right now, but the choice can be seriously confusing. In our configurator challenge, we let the Drive team loose on a manufacturer’s website to create their ideal combination for a given model.
This week’s challenge focuses 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 on-road costs.
Let us know what your ideal 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQS53 would look like in the comments below (configure yours here) and the cars you’d like us to configure below.
James Ward, Director of Content
I’ve gone full Bruce Wayne sledding with my EQS53; Obsidian Black with the AMG Night package and the requisite 22-inch wheels. I think the black emphasizes the techno nature of the EQS and reaffirms it as a limousine…
However, to balance the yin with the yang, I’ve 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 shows off the sleek modernity of AMG black on the outside, but a classic Mercedes combination of light leather and wood on the inside.
Total price: $342,770 plus on-road costs
Kez Casey, Production Editor
Maybe it’s just me, but I consider the EQS to be one of the most unlucky cars ever to come from Mercedes-Benz, so I’ve done my best to hide its lumpy shape with a coat of Obsidian Black paint.
Credit to AMG for the 22-inch multi-spoke wheels though, those look lovely. For some reason, MB will only let you pack red calipers with tinted rear windows (because those two things are supposedly related), so I’ll leave mine in invisible anodized silver.
Oddly for an AMG product, there are no outrageous red or yellow trim options. If you’re adventurous, there’s a hospital waiting room with a combination of brown and gray, but if you’re like me and you’re not, there’s black and gray as seen here. This is combined with carbon fiber trim on the console and doors.
Beyond that, there’s not much else to add, apart from the AMG Dynamic Plus package which boosts power to 560kW and 1020Nm, of course. Despite a relatively short options list, that’s still a $13,000 bill on top of the already hefty $328,400 entry price.
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Paul Gover, Senior Reporter
Susannah Guthrie, Senior Reporter
Call me boring, but I think the EQS53 looks best in white, so I went with the only standard exterior paint option: Polar White.
I also added the AMG Night Package ($3990) so I had 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 neat and clean look of the nappa leather interior in Neva Gray and Balao Brown, even if it’s a completely ridiculous choice given that I have a one-year-old. But a girl can dream.
I can’t go past a nice wood finish, so I added the walnut inlays and then imagined my driver experience with the MBUX augmented reality head-up display ($2690).
Even without the expensive interior trim changes, I’m already over $345,000 before on-road costs, so I better stop there.
Emma Notarfrancesco, senior journalist
My EQS53 is finished in Sodalite Blue Metallic (a no-cost option), while the exterior has the AMG Night Package, a $3990 option. This adds AMG Gloss Black exterior accents, along with 22-inch AMG black/matt silver light-alloy wheels and red brake calipers.
Inside I’ve chosen AMG black/space gray nappa leather upholstery, with brown open-pore walnut wood trim. Interior options include the $9290 Energizing Comfort Package, which includes a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, rear-seat entertainment system, two wireless headphones, Energizing Package with wellness programs, Energizing Coach app, and air purifier ‘air Energizing Air Control Plus.
Other highlights include ceramic composite brakes ($9,990), an augmented reality head-up display ($2,690) and AMG carbon fiber interior inlays ($2,990).
In total, I added $28,950 worth of options to the $328,400 plus on-road cost price of the EQS.
I, like my colleague Kez, think the EQS53’s looks leave a lot to be desired. That’s why I’ve decided that you should go all out on the specs to distract yourself.
I’ve always been a big fan of Benz’s Hyacinth Red ($1990), so that covers the exterior, although the interior choice was more difficult. There was a nice light gray color that was reminiscent of the S-Class and CL-Class of the mid-2000s, but I wasn’t so fond of the brown color that automatically selected for the center console and the top of the dash. In the end I went straight with black upholstery which is harmless enough.
There are relatively few option boxes to tick, but I opted for the $9990 carbon-ceramic brakes, $2990 carbon fiber inlays and a $2690 raised head-up display. I’m really excited about this latest pick which easily puts the navigation instructions in your face on the windshield.
I also selected the $7690 AMG Dynamic Plus package that unlocks higher outputs from the twin engines because, what are electric vehicles for if not top-speed straight-line acceleration?
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Jordan Mulach, journalist
I decided to switch things up from the usual black, white and silver options by choosing Nautic Blue Metallic, which is unique but just as hard to keep clean. I also think it’s one of the best blues out there, but that’s just me.
Instead of 22-inch pothole finders, I went with the 21s because they both look better and provide a touch more sidewall protection for the roads where this car will be used most of the time.
Since I’m prone to eating while driving, white seats are a no-no, but I think combining the black leather with some brown adds a unique look, even if it’s paired with carbon fiber. You have to save every gram in a two-ton EV.
There are heated outboard rear seats in case I ever end up in the back, and a heated steering wheel for when I’m not.
You must also have the AMG Dynamic Plus package and high-performance ceramic brakes in case track day bites.
Alex Misoyannis, journalist
It’s been a bit of a wait, but AMG’s first mass-produced electric car isn’t quite the first; this was the 2013 SLS Electric Drive supercar – it’s arrived in Australia.
Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t come cheap, priced at less than $330,000 before on-road costs. But if you’re going to spend that much on an AMG electric limo… what are some optional extras for your back pocket?
That’s why my AMG EQS53 setup is close to full load, with a few exceptions. On top of the base price of $328,400, I added the $7,690 AMG Dynamic Plus package for a total output of 560 kW, plus $3,990 for the AMG Night Package, which includes nicer 22-inch wheels (which I’d opt for regardless), black accents and red brake calipers.
Finished in Manufaktur Hyacinth Red metallic (a $1,990 option, not surprisingly), my EQS53 also comes with the augmented reality head-up display ($2690), carbon fiber interior inlays ($2990), a charger in 22 kW ($2490) board and an AC. Wallbox for my garage ($1450).
I don’t need the $9290 power pack, or the $9990 carbon-ceramic brakes; I’m sure steel brakes will do the job well enough.
All told, that’s $351,690 plus on-road costs, or probably close to $375,000 drive-away, once all government charges are factored in.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed to Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout of Alex’s life, from poring over car magazines as a youth to growing up around performance. vehicles in a car loving family.
Read more about Alex Misoyannis