Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV Arrives With Plenty Of Tech And Lots Of Luxury

We’ve known Mercedes-Benz has been cooking up an SUV variant of the EQS for quite some time and, earlier this month, the brand released a teaser hinting at the design. Ahead of the reveal, the company’s thunder was stolen when leaked images surfaced online but now, the three-pointed star has officially unveiled the highly awaited electric SUV.

Taking styling cues from the sedan with which it shares a name, the EQS SUV has the signature black panel at the front, flanked by the standard Digital Light Headlamps. Despite the lack of an ICE engine, power domes on the hood clue road users into the horsepower on offer and lend the luxury SUV a touch of aggression.

Moving on to the side profile, the flush door handles work well with the black-painted wheel arches. The rear is less distinctive and resembles lesser Mercedes-EQ models, courtesy of the light bar and chrome-trimmed diffuser. Intricately designed 20-inch alloy wheels are standard on both models.

The styling may not appeal to all, but the standard specification and plush, practical interior certainly will. Front seat passengers are treated to the same MBUX Hyperscreen setup first seen on the sedan. Spanning the width of the dashboard, the 56-inch screen surface (in the 580) has the latest MBUX software with the nifty Augmented Reality navigation system.

The 580 boasts three displays; a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 17.7-inch central OLED touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch OLED touchscreen for passengers. The more affordable 450 has a 12.8-inch central OLED portrait touchscreen and a 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Passengers can enjoy ambient lightning with 64 colors, including a brand new EQ-specific hue.

Passengers will revel in the standard Dolby Atmos sound system which is part of the standard Burmester 3D Sound System, while the sumptuously appointed leather seats (with heating and ventilation) should be wondrously comfortable. Standard specification is generous, but buyers can choose from several options, including four- or five-zone climate control, rear-seat entertainment, or a third row of seats, among other things.

Like its sedan sibling, two variants are on offer. The less powerful EQS 450+ SUV has a rear axle-mounted electric motor that offers up 355 horsepower and 419 lb-ft of torque. The more rapid 580 4Matic utilizes a dual-motor setup with 536 hp and 633 lb-ft.

Mercedes is yet to release performance and consumption figures, but based on the sedan, we’re guessing the 580 will hit 60 mph in less than five seconds.

Plugged into a DC fast charger, both can charge from 10% to 80% in just 31 minutes. A conventional 240V wallbox will charge the pair (from 10% – 100%) in 11.25 hours.

Being a Mercedes-Benz, the EQS SUV is bristling with safety technology. Aside from blind-spot and lane-keep assist, the EV also boasts Pre-Safe Plus with Pre-Safe Sound. This triggers a sound within the cabin to protect the human ear if a collision is detected, to help reduce hearing loss in the event of an accident.

Despite looking far larger, the EQS SUV shares the 126-inch wheelbase with the sedan but sits 7.8 inches higher. Mercedes says passenger space is impressive, with 41 inches of headroom on offer in the front and second row, despite the standard panoramic sunroof. This figure does fall slightly, to 35 inches, for occupants seated in the optional third row.

Second-row passengers benefit from power-adjustable seating, although this also aids practicality. Depending on where the seats are positioned, there’s between 23 and 31 cu-ft of cargo space up for grabs. Folding the 40:20:40 split second-row down offers up a sizeable 74 cu-ft. These figures differ slightly for the optional third row; 28 cu-ft behind the second row and 71 cu-ft when they are folded down. With all seats in position, there are just 7 cu-ft up for grabs.

Pricing is yet to be announced, but expect the SUV to be pricier than the sedan variant, which has a starting MSRP of $102,310 for the 450+. Both are expected to arrive at dealers in late 2022.