The newest announcements from Mercedes-Benz find the automaker sticking with its EQ-series saturation. On the first of this month, pricing for the AMG version of the EQS sedan was announced by the company. Contrasting dramatically—but not unexpectedly—with the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+’s entry of $102K, the 2022 Mercedes-AMG EQS starts at $148,550 with destination and delivery.

As there is presently no performance EV equivalent in production from Audi, BMW, or Lexus, only the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air stand as competition of sorts for the Mercedes-AMG EQS. The model’s front- and rear-axle motors combine to deliver 649 horsepower — although ‘boost’ will push the number to 751 — which bests the top-tier Mercedes-Benz EQS 580’s 516 by a large margin. It will come with 4MATIC+, RIDE CONTROL+, and MBUX Hyperscreen standard.

A few days later, Mercedes announced that it will give its newest debutante a private online cotillion: the EQS SUV will be officially presented in a digital world premiere later this month.

The press release on the premiere discusses model philosophy — the 4MATIC-equipped model’s design reconciles sedan comfort with the space and functionality of an SUV. That’s familiar to any designer who has come up with a solid working draft for a new crossover, but Mercedes has of course the final word on the subject of forward-thinking automotive design in mind. The marketing speak indicates as much, using the words progressive and avant-garde in its text.