news April 14, 2026

2027 Mercedes-Benz EQS Gets a Bigger Battery, Cleaner Styling, and Up to 390 Miles of Range

Mercedes-Benz has given the EQS sedan a meaningful mid-cycle update for 2027, with a larger 118 kWh battery, cleaner front-end styling, revised cabin details, and an estimated 390 miles of range in rear-drive form.

By Marcus Holloway

Mercedes-Benz is trying to fix two of the biggest complaints about the EQS at the same time: the way it looks, and the way it stacks up on range.

For the 2027 model year, the flagship electric sedan gets a larger 118 kWh battery pack, a front-end redesign that tones down the old jellybean look, updated interior trim, and an estimated 390 miles of range in rear-wheel-drive form. That’s a meaningful change for a car that has always been technically impressive but never quite as visually convincing as its price tag suggested.

The Battery Upgrade Is the Real Story

The headline change is the new battery. The outgoing EQS 450+ used a 108.4 kWh pack, and the move to 118 kWh gives Mercedes more room to keep the EQS competitive with long-range luxury EV rivals without changing the car’s basic mission.

Mercedes is now targeting up to 390 miles for the rear-drive EQS 450+, while the dual-motor EQS 580 4Matic is estimated at 367 miles. Those are important numbers in this part of the market. Buyers spending EQS money expect effortless highway range, not just a quiet cabin and a giant screen.

Charging is still not class-leading on paper. Mercedes says DC fast charging remains capped at 200 kW, but the bigger pack should still make the EQS a stronger road-trip tool simply because it can go farther between stops.

Mercedes Finally Softened the Weird Face

Let’s be honest: the original EQS never had a styling problem because it was futuristic. It had a styling problem because too many people thought it looked anonymous.

Mercedes seems to know that. The 2027 refresh gives the EQS a more upright, more familiar front-end treatment with a faux grille treatment that makes it look closer to the brand’s conventional flagship sedans. It is not suddenly aggressive or dramatic, but it does look more like a six-figure Mercedes and less like a rolling aerodynamics experiment.

That matters because luxury buyers do not just want efficiency. They also want presence.

Cabin Changes Are Small but Smart

Inside, the updates are subtler. Mercedes has reportedly revised trim and comfort details, including a new steering wheel design and a pillow package for rear passengers. None of that changes the basic EQS formula, which is still centered on a hushed cabin, lots of digital theater, and a ride tuned more for isolation than excitement.

That is still a valid luxury brief. The EQS has never really been about driver involvement. It has been about making long-distance electric travel feel expensive in the right way.

Why This Refresh Matters Now

The EQS arrived as a technical showcase, but the luxury EV market has moved since then. Lucid has made range a bragging point. BMW has kept a more conventional luxury-sedan shape in the conversation. Even Mercedes’ own EQE has made some buyers question how much visual and financial separation the EQS really offers.

This update does not reinvent the car, but it does address the exact areas where the EQS was easiest to criticize. More battery, more range, and a more recognizable Mercedes face are not flashy fixes. They are practical ones.

US dealer arrival is expected in the second half of 2026, which means Mercedes still has time to sharpen pricing and trim strategy before the updated car lands in showrooms.

The Motorlinks Take

This is the EQS update Mercedes needed to do.

The original car was clever, quiet, and seriously efficient for its size, but it always felt like a flagship that asked buyers to make too many emotional compromises. If the revised styling lands better in person, the 2027 EQS should be easier to sell as a proper electric S-Class alternative rather than just the most advanced thing in the showroom.

The bigger question is whether that will be enough to pull luxury EV shoppers away from Lucid, BMW, and whatever else arrives before the updated EQS hits dealers later in 2026. But on paper, this refresh makes the Mercedes flagship a lot easier to defend.