THE first luxury all-electric saloon car from Mercedes-Benz will be on the road later in the year when the company releases its new EQS.

It is the latest in the German brand's growing family of EQ electric cars and initially will be available in the UK as the EQS 450+ which is powered by a 245 kW motor.

As such it develops 329 horsepower and has a 0 to 62 acceleration time of 6.2 seconds with a top speed of 131mph.

With a fully charged range of up to 478 miles Mercedes says a quick charge to 80 per cent capacity can be done in 31 minutes while a full charge from a domestic supply will take up to 10 hours.

It is designed as an electric alternative to the S-Class limousine and while prices have still to be announced they can be expected to be starting from around £100,000.

The EQS sits on a special modular platform designed for electric vehicles and comes bristling with technology including the option of a giant 55.5-inch hyperscreen display which stretches across the dashboard.

It has three display panels under a single glass cover including a 12..3-inch OLED display for the front passenger as well as a central main screen and the driver's multi-function instrument panel.

Combined with the Mercedes' MBUX voice control system it is designed to bring a new level of infotainment to the car which is also equipped with advanced driving systems that enable full autonomous driving at speeds of up to 37mph where permitted.

That is in addition to other assistance functions such as active lane change, automatic cruise control and driver attention monitors which work from cameras installed in the facia.

At 5.2 metres long the EQS is slightly bigger than the S-Class and is fitted with active suspension and four-wheel-steering as standard.

Boot space ranges from 610 to 1,770 litres and like other members of the new EQ family of Mercedes cars the EQS has a distinctive front design featuring a deep black radiator ‘grille' between the headlights.