The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Has a Wild Cabin and AMG Electric Motors
Mercedes-Maybach has gone electric. The company announced the 2024 EQS 680 SUV, the brand's first EV and second crossover, on Monday. It's gargantuan, opulent, and powered by AMG motors.
The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is, as the name implies, a version of the Mercedes-EQS flagship SUV. This new built-in-Alabama goliath features the same rounded shape as its EQS sibling, but is instead equipped with 21-inch monoblock wheels. In the U.S., we'll get optional 22-inch wheels. Americans love giant wheels. The car's front end features a slatted grille design similar to Maybach's internal-combustion cars, except there's no actual grille. The faux grille is patterned black plastic, with the radar suite and other sensors integrated into the design. The good news is that the hood ornament has survived the transition to the electric age, sitting prominently on the Maybach's bow.
There are also plenty of Maybach logos. In addition to the one on the D pillar, there's Maybach lettering on the chrome strip above the grille, and Maybach logos filling the space where you'd expect to find fog lights. It's over the top, but that's the point. With a two-tone paint job, monoblocks, and a healthy dose of chrome, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV forsakes old-world luxury for electric-age flair. Whether that's a compelling design choice is a matter of personal taste, but in person it looked a bit strange.
Inside, however, there's no denying that Mercedes has succeeded. The EQS SUV's large cabin has just two rows in Maybach configuration, with either a three-seat conventional configuration in the rear or a dual-recliner setup that comes with the "First-Class Rear" executive seating package. We got to see the executive-seat version, and it's as opulent as you'd expect from a flagship Maybach. The seats will be familiar to any S-Class Maybach owner, extremely comfortable massage chairs that recline to be nearly flat. There's the requisite powered curtains and rear-seat controls for all of the car's various infotainment and comfort tricks, plus a fridge that's now removable for easy loading. Champagne flutes are stowed on board, of course. The only downside versus a traditional EQS SUV is that the fancy seats are mounted to an immovable bulkhead with a fixed cargo cover; You can't fold these seats to haul more cargo, which isn't something a Maybach buyer is likely to do anyway.
Suspension tech is unchanged from the standard EQS SUV, but Mercedes says it has retuned the air suspension and adaptive dampers for maximum comfort. Mercedes-Maybach also knew that its customers expect more power than the standard car, so they grabbed drivetrain components from the Mercedes-AMG EQS sedan and retuned them for the smooth, effortless delivery you expect from an executive car. There's a permanently excited synchronous electric motor on both axles, with a combined system output of 649 hp and an astounding 700 lb-ft. Zero to 60 takes 4.2 seconds. The upgraded cooling from the AMG is onboard, too.
Unsurprisingly, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV also includes almost every tech gadget in Mercedes's considerable arsenal. It has the latest MBUX infotainment system with the dash-dominating Hyperscreen display, with extra displays for each rear passenger and a control screen in between them. That means every single seat has access to at least two touch screens. The EQS 680 SUV also gets "4D Sound"—Mercedes speak for their three-dimensional Burmester audio system, plus exciters in the seat that physically pulse with the music—and all the "Energizing Comfort" light, sound, and massage options.
Projector headlights display the Maybach logo on startup. There's also an automatic perfume system. If you get the First-Class Rear package, even the cupholders in the back are heated and cooled.
We're still waiting to hear how much all of this costs, but the internal-combustion Mercedes-Maybach GLS starts at $171,150. Final U.S. range figures aren't out yet, either, but Mercedes says the Maybach EQS SUV can go up to 372 miles on the much more lenient WLTP cycle. Expect the flagship SUV to reach dealers later this year.
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