Last month at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show, Mercedes presented the slick Vision EQS as a preview of the automaker's future flagship electric sedan that will rival the likes of the Porsche Taycan, Tesla Model S, and Audi E-Tron GT. Essentially, it will be an electric version of the next-generation Mercedes S-Class and will be sold alongside the EQC SUV.

The Vision EQS isn't expected to enter production until 2020, but our spies have sent us the first photos of a prototype EQS being tested. There's a lot of camouflage concealing the design, but the design of the production EQS looks toned down compared to the futuristic Vision EQS concept.

The prototype EQS adopts a sleek, curvaceous design, featuring a coupe-style sloping roof and sleek LED headlights. Whereas the Vision EQS was a four-door sedan, the EQS appears to be a five-door hatchback, which will make it more practical. Like the concept, the EQS prototype also features frameless doors, giving it a coupe-like appearance.

We also get a first look inside the EQS, and while most of the cabin is covered up, it appears to share the same layout as the next-generation Mercedes S-Class that we spied a few months ago. Like the new S-Class, the luxurious cabin has a fully digital gauge cluster and a massive touchscreen for the infotainment system.

When it enters production, the EQS will ride on Mercedes' Modular Electric Architecture and is expected to use a dual electric motor setup, allowing for an all-wheel-drive layout. Technical details are unknown, but the Vision EQS was powered by two electric motors with one at each axle and a floor-mounted battery.

This setup produces a combined output of over 469 horsepower and 560 lb-ft of torque, enabling the electric sedan to hit 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds and deliver a WLTP-estimated range of 435 miles. Using a 350 kW charger, the Vision EQS can be recharged up to 80 percent in just 20 minutes. Hopefully, the camouflage will start to peel off these prototypes before the production Mercedes EQS debuts next year.