Mercedes was fashionably late to the dedicated EV party as it wasn’t until last year when the EQS liftback and EQE sedan were introduced. The former is now spawning a more practical SUV variant with an optional third row. Stretching at a stately 202 inches (5.1 meters), it’s seven inches (18 centimeters) longer than the BMW iX. It’s also bigger than the Tesla Model X (198.3 inches / 5 meters).
As the model’s name implies, it’s essentially an SUV version of the EQS, carrying over the hardware and technology. That means it shares the same massive 56-inch Hyperscreen with three front displays housed within a single piece of curved glass. As standard, it gets electrically adjustable second-row seats while those individual third-row seats will cost extra.
Compared to the regular EQS upon which it’s based, the SUV is 7.8 inches (20 centimeters) taller for better ground clearance. It even has a dedicated off-road mode with a hill-descent feature, while rear-wheel steering is standard. The latter has a 4.5-degree maximum angle, but can be optionally bumped to 10 degrees via an OTA update.
As expected from a flagship luxury SUV, the BMW iX rival gets standard air suspension for a silky-smooth ride. The list of goodies includes a HEPA filter, ventilated seats, five-zone climate control, and a head-up display with AR. Speaking of comfort, the massive wheelbase of 126.3 inches (3.21 meters) makes the cabin supremely spacious. The distance between the axles is far greater than its rivals, even if the Model X also has three rows.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Mercedes EQS SUV doesn’t have AWD as standard
While the iX is an xDrive-only affair, Mercedes will sell the 2023 EQS SUV with standard rear-wheel drive. The 450+ model has an electric motor mounted at the back where it makes 355 hp (265 kW) and 419 lb-ft (568 Nm). Step up to the 580 4Matic and you get AWD with a combined output of 536 hp (400 kW) and 633 lb-ft (858 Nm).
The Euro version will have a range of 660 km (410 miles) WLTP while the EPA rating is unknown. Replenishing the lithium-ion battery pack from 10% to 80% takes 31 minutes when DC charging at 110 kW. From 10% to 100% using a wallbox, it’ll take nearly 11 and a half hours.
Mercedes will build the EQS SUV in Tuscaloosa where the EQE SUV is going to be assembled as well. The larger of the two will be arriving at dealers in the US towards the end of the year. The smaller should follow shortly, with an electric G-Class to land in the coming years. These new dedicated EVs will join the EQA, EQB, and EQC crossovers, which are electric adaptations of their respective combustion-engined models.
Source: Mercedes Benz
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