Driving the sublime Mercedes-Benz EQS is a joy but with a price tag of up to €180,000 is the maker’s flagship all-electric car really worth it? What is it? Something unusual happens when you drive the new Mercedes Benz EQS: complete strangers want to peer inside it, passers-by swarm you with mobile phones and the curiosity around it is unmatched by anything I have tested lately. The EQS is Mercedes’ new flagship all-electric car and our test model, priced at €168,000, is one of the most expensive cars they make. Available in two versions, the base price of the EQS 450+ is €129,965 and promises to reach 717km on a single charge. There is also an all-wheel-drive version priced from €180,015 Something unusual happens when you drive the new Mercedes Benz EQS: complete strangers want to peer inside it, passers-by swarm you with mobile phones and the curiosity around it is unmatched by anything I have tested lately. Is it a looker? The exterior certainly divides opinion. For some, it’s a well-proportioned machine; for others, the design lacks the bold and innovative elements expected from a car of such importance. Mercedes are keen to stress this is the world’s most aerodynamic car thanks to its teardrop shape, with a drag coefficient of just 0.20Cd. I understand why aerodynamics are so critical to the efficiency of electric cars but I have to admit the exterior could be a little more interesting, particularly given some of Mercedes’ past creations. What’s the interior like? Inside, however, is a sumptuous oasis and the cabin manages to be both cool and lavish. It is awash with pampering touches, including a soft pillow on the front seat head restraints. The bewilderingly impressive 142cm-wide “hyperscreen” sweeps from one side of the dashboard to the next and is actually three screens: one for the driver, a large centre display and one for the passenger. Within minutes, my 14-year-old had discovered the massage function and was enjoying a ‘hot stone’ massage courtesy of the ventilated seats. The EQS is also a supremely practical car and those in the back enjoy limousine-like levels of leg room with vast space for luggage in the 610-litre boot. What does it drive like? On the road it is effortlessly refined and floats silently over any surface. This is not a car designed to...