The auto industry is breaking new ground, which means tuners can’t be far behind. Still, we didn’t expect Brabus — home to a 900-horsepower lineup of supercar tunes called “Superblack” — to be one of the first to revamp its trademark conversions. The German tuner has come up with a new body kit for the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS 450, focusing on range instead of power. The sedan’s stock 355 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque don’t change. However, Brabus said estimates of range from 380 to 457 miles on the European WLTP cycle have improved by up to 7% at speeds between 60 and 87 miles per hour. Given a long highway ride, that could mean a healthy extension to between 407 and 489 miles of range.
The extra distance, thanks to a drag coefficient reduced by the same percentage, makes the EQS about as smooth as the GM EV1 and Volkswagen XL1 on the Autobahn.
The improvements come via a body kit with a new front spoiler and new side intakes, wind deflectors on the wheel arches, a new spoiler on the deck lid and a reshaped rear diffuser. Brabus engineers also programmed the sedan’s air suspension to lower 0.6 inches in the front and 0.8 inches in the rear, and mounted them on a set of Brabus’ 22-inch Monoblock wheels wrapped in 255/35 tires in the front and 295 /30 rear tires. That’s a big jump from stock, both in wheel size and tire width. On the European showroom floor, the EQS 450 sits on 19-inch wheels with 235/55 rubber all around. As with all things Brabus, the customer has options when it comes to wheels, but we think switching to a set of the tuner’s 10-spoke rims will eat up some.
The base sedan costs €111,134 before options in Germany. Brabus charges €173,890 ($178,378 US) for its version, which is now open for orders.
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