Overview
- Mercedes, which confirmed the option Thursday, will offer steer-by-wire on the refreshed EQS and becomes the first German automaker to sell it.
- The setup removes the steering column in favor of sensors and actuators, pairs with the EQS’s 10-degree rear-axle steering, and fits a compact yoke with a newly engineered airbag.
- Mercedes built dual signal paths with a backup electromechanical mode capped at 56 mph and a last-resort mix of rear-axle steering and wheel-specific braking, after more than 1 million test kilometers.
- Journalists who drove prototypes in Portugal report very quick, low-effort responses and less vibration at the yoke, though some question road feel, the look of the yoke, and whether buyers will pay for it.
- The company says the system will expand to the next S-Class and other future models, it remains optional on the EQS, and traditional electromechanical steering stays available.