Mechanical performance subscription? Mercedes-Benz EQS charges for rear-wheel steering functionality.

(Cover image: AMS)

Last week, the famous German automotive magazine auto motor und sport reported a very interesting news.

The flagship luxury car EQS under Mercedes-Benz in Germany comes with a 4.5-degree rear-wheel steering as standard. However, this steering system is exactly the same as the one that supports 10 degrees of steering system mechanically, and the difference in steering angle is purely caused by software restrictions.

If you are a German EQS owner, you need to pay an annual subscription of 489 euros to activate the 10-degree rear wheel steering ability. If you subscribe for three years, you can get a discounted price of 1,169 euros, which is equivalent to 300 euros cheaper. After payment, shut down the power for 2 minutes and then restart the vehicle to complete the upgrade.

Interestingly, 10 degree rear-wheel steering is standard in the United States. As for such regional differences, it may be because the driving environment in the United States generally has more spacious space, and there are not many car owners who deliberately choose a larger rear-wheel steering angle. Based on this background, it is reasonable to directly configure the hardware-similar rear-wheel steering system with a higher 10 degrees as standard. In addition, in the United States, Mercedes-Benz also faces a greater invasion of the executive car market from Tesla Model S, so it may also need to demonstrate differentiation through the advantage of the German car’s chassis.

🔗Source: auto motor und sport

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.