What 1 - 2 crore Luxury Electric Car would you buy in India?

I'd buy the EQS over the current-gen S-Class, but not the earlier W222 S-Class

Mercedes EQS

Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4Matic Pros

• Futuristic-looking design & styling. An absolute head-turner
• Stunning, enjoyable performance! Blistering 0-100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds
• 850+ km claimed range (MIDC cycle), 677 km (WLTP) takes away range anxiety. An EV that can actually be used for your long highway road-trips
• Impressive manoeuvrability, handling and body control for its size and weight. 4-wheel steering works!
• Zero tailpipe emissions & green image will appeal to the environmentally-conscious
• Loaded to the gills with features, safety kit & technology. The interiors will “wow” you
• Competitive pricing. Road tax exemptions in many states make it a compelling proposition in the segment, against more conventional choices

Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4Matic Cons

• Interior quality is not quite up to S-Class levels. It’s more “E-Class” luxury than “S-Class” opulence
• Dismal ground clearance. Get ready to hear the sound of the floor scraping every medium-sized hump, even with the suspension height raised
• Strange brake pedal behaviour takes getting used to in intelligent / strong regen modes. Mushy brake pedal inspires no confidence during hard braking
• Rear seat experience is far from that of an S-Class, with lesser under-thigh support than even the E-Class. Rear headroom tight for tall passengers too
• Missing features such as a spare tyre (!!!), rear seat massage, augmented reality head-up display...
• Long “full tank” charging times in comparison with an ICE car. Overnight charging is best
• Tech and electronics take a whole lot of time to figure out, especially for the less tech-savvy. Not a car you just get into and start driving

Link to Review

Audi E-Tron GT

Launch Thread

Porsche Taycan

Launch Thread

Jaguar I-Pace

Launch Thread

BMW iX

Launch Thread

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

My first choice would be the Taycan because it's genuinely fun to drive. Porsche might have come from years behind Tesla, but they have caught up & how. They have turned the EV powertrain very well. Some manufacturers get the stuff right (power delivery, driving feel, throttle response, acceleration etc.), and some manufacturers don't. Plus, the Taycan is practical enough, handles like a Porsche and can be used as a daily.

A close second is the EQS which I've fallen in love with. Fast, practical, 600 - 700 km range, fun to drive, very family-friendly. I liked it so much that I'd buy the EQS over the current-gen S-Class, but not the earlier W222 S-Class which is my favourite.

Here's what BHPian ashivas89 had to say on the matter:

Voted for others.

Heart says Taycan. But... it won't work in Bangalore.

The Audi e-Tron GT is pretty much the same.

The BMW iX, if it didn't look the way it does, same as the Mercedes EQS. One looks like an origami car, the other like a bar of soap.

Therefore, here is what I would do:

Get myself a Kia EV6 GT or BMW i4 for the city and use the remaining dough to either get an AMG A45/BMW M340i/ 530D? for long distances.

Here's what BHPian DarthVeda had to say on the matter:

I assume the big assumption for this poll would be "YOU CAN AFFORD", and under that assumption, I could, I would go ahead with MB EQS. It's such an awesome engineering marvel and luxurious. Would prefer to live in that car parked in the company basement rather than commute. Of course, family demands otherwise.

Here's what BHPian Turbanator had to say on the matter:

I tried most of these recently and will choose an iX

It is but nowhere like their sports car. Frankly, with the kind of loadings it gets as standard, it looks cheap. C-Class will be miles ahead. To get some reasonable interiors, you have to load by 15-20 lac at least and even then, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Porsche Taycan: It has too low a ground clearance for such a long car, and it does not handle anywhere close to any other Porsche. I found the Cayenne better, can be due to the roads/ profile, though.

So, if we talk about our conditions, it cannot be our daily car.

EQS: It's a nice car, but again, MB has got overall greedy. The kind of fake leather they have given is more like E or C class. What's more, you can get it only with beige interiors.

Why am I stressing so much about the interiors that if one has to spend a crore and a half or more, one needs something nicer?

Anyone who has not sat in an iX must do it once. It's beyond one's imagination. Pictures or videos don't do any justice. Audio setup is something I have never heard before in any car. The exterior is extremely polarising, though. Looks good in darker colours, but the overall shape could have been better.

The range is another downer on an iX, but I will still pick this over any other EV in this range.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.