Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV brings super luxury to EVs
Mercedes-Benz’s rapidly expanding EQ electric vehicle lineup isn’t just limited to its core models. AMG, the brand’s performance arm, has already put its touch on the EQE and EQS sedans. So now it’s time for Mercedes-Benz to take things in a different direction. Meet the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV.
The company’s most luxurious EV yet takes everything we like about the standard EQS and adds a little somethin’ somethin’, giving the SUV more power, more style and more comfort.
When it launches later this year, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV will be available with five different two-tone color combinations. Interestingly, Mercedes designers say all of the two-tone options will feature the lighter color on the bottom half of the SUV, since the darker tone up top better accentuates the vehicle’s aerodynamics. On that note, while the base EQS SUV has a drag coefficient of 0.26, the Maybach variant is slightly less slippery. Daniel Lescow, head of Mercedes-Maybach, expects the SUV to come out around 0.29, but says things could still change before the EQS hits the road. “We’re fighting for 0.28,” he said.
Maybach-specific design details include vertical metal-look lines in the EQS’ faux grille and a Mercedes-Benz star ornament on the hood. The would-be air intakes on the lower fascia have Maybach logos scattered throughout, which kind of looks like a Louis Vuitton purse. (That may or may not be intentional.) There’s a Maybach logo on the D-pillar and the taillights have a unique running light pattern. Mercedes-Benz says 21-inch wheels will be standard when the Maybach EQS goes on sale. Larger 22-inch wheels, as well as a sixth two-tone paint option, will come online later.
Mercedes-Benz is still finalizing some of the Maybach EQS’ official specs and won’t yet disclose the SUV’s battery capacity. We’re betting it’ll be the same – or right around – 107.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion pack used in the EQS 580 SUV. With an electric motor mounted at each axle, the Maybach EQS 680 is expected to produce 649 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque, increases of 113 hp and 67 lb-ft over the EQS 580, and identical amount of power to the Mercedes-AMG EQS sedan.
The Maybach will have the same 200-kilowatt maximum charging speed as the standard EQS SUV. Final details once again unavailable, but Mercedes-Benz is currently estimating a range of 600 kilometers – about 373 miles – on the optimistic European WLTP cycle. You can count on that spec to decrease under the stricter EPA testing regimen.
Naturally, the EQS SUV has a Maybach driving mode similar to the one used in the GLS and S-Class Maybach variants. This effectively does whatever it takes to limit body motions – improving the smoothness of the regenerative braking, muting the throttle response, adjusting the dampers to quell body roll. This is the default drive mode when you start the EQS 680, but Eco, Sport and Individual programs are offered, too. There’s even an Offroad mode that can raise the SUV by up to 1.4 inches. Because of course there is.
The interior has a number of changes befitting of such a swanky SUV, including unique color, wood and trim options, as well as a Maybach-specific design in the digital gauge cluster. Mercedes’ dashboard-spanning Hyperscreen infotainment system is standard on the Maybach EQS, as are a pair of 11.6-inch infotainment displays mounted on the front seatbacks for the rear passengers. As you’d expect, Mercedes is throwing all of its latest and greatest features at the EQS 680, including a Burmester 4D surround sound system, differently shaped front seats with nicer leather, unique ambient color options and even a Maybach-specific scent for the interior fragrance system.
Speaking of the back seats, they’re moved rearward in the EQS SUV to give passengers extra legroom. And naturally, if you opt for the two-seat rear arrangement (seriously, why is there even a three-across bench option?), the seats recline, and the passenger-side chair has a footrest. Heating, cooling and massaging functions are standard on the two-seat setup, and the long center console has room for all your smart devices, as well as the requisite champagne flutes. These seats are comfy, and easy to get in and out of. We could sit back here all day.
On that note, folks who need to press their Maybach into cargo-hauling duty will like that the small fridge can be easily removed with the pull of a handle. Home Depot doesn’t sell Veuve anyway. (We’ve asked.) Unfortunately, moving the back seats eats into luggage space, so the Maybach EQS SUV has even less cargo space than the already-challenged regular version.
How much will all this velvety goodness cost? That, too, remains to be seen. If we compare a Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 to a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, there’s a $65,000 price jump between these two SUVs. Similar math turns a $127,100 EQS 580 (including destination) into a $192,100 Maybach EQS 680. But again, that’s just for reference. Final pricing is TBD.
For better or worse, nothing about the Maybach treatment changes the appeal of the EQS SUV. It makes the electric crossover a little more special, but not remarkably so. Still, Mercedes-Benz has found success in applying this Maybach treatment to its gas-powered cars and SUVs. It was only a matter of time before the EQ sub-brand got its luxe on, as well.
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