New Mercedes EQS SUV: range, prices and specs revealed

The Mercedes EQS SUV is on sale now, priced from £129,170 for the EQS 450 4MATIC in AMG Line Premium Plus trim. The more powerful EQS 580 costs an additional £10,000, while a ‘Business Class’ specification is also available across both powertrain options.

All cars come with 21-inch wheels, digital adaptive LED headlights, and Nappa leather seats. Merc’s triple-display Hyperscreen infotainment system is a £7,995 option. Opting for the Business Class package (£14,325) includes the upgraded infotainment, plus an augmented reality head-up display and rear entertainment screens, as well as contoured massage seats and ‘ship's deck’ open-pore walnut trim.
 
Designed to rival cars like the BMW iX and Tesla Model X, as well as the forthcoming all-electric Range Rover, the flagship Mercedes EQS SUV sits above the EQC and EQE SUVs, and alongside the EQS saloon, which launched in 2021. 

Big, expensive luxury SUVs are a Mercedes speciality – just look at the vast G-Class and the GLS models for example. The EQS SUV is available with a single motor in other markets, but all UK cars get 4MATIC all-wheel drive as standard. Rear-wheel steering will also be available, offering rotation up to 10 degrees.

Initially, Mercedes said the EQS SUV would offer a range of more than 400 miles, but official figures for UK cars have now been revealed, with the flagship EV capable of up to 366 miles on a single charge. That’s a little less than the biggest-battery BMW iX (380 miles), but slightly more than the Tesla Model X (348 miles).

The EQS is also one of a handful of electric SUVs available in seven-seater configuration, the others at this price point being the Tesla Model X, the Rivian R1S and the forthcoming Lucid Gravity. Every UK-sold EQS SUV will come with seven seats as standard.

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Mercedes EQS SUV range and charging

The Mercedes EQS SUV will come with a choice of two powertrains; the dual-motor 450 4MATIC and the range-topping 580 4MATIC – with both using a 107.8kWh battery. Thanks to that enormous battery, the base EQS 450 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus will do 366 miles fully charged, while the faster (and likely heavier) EQS 580 4MATIC Business Class returns an official range of 363 miles.

In terms of charging, the EQS SUV can manage up to 200kW, which is enough to add 155 miles of range to the EQS in just 15 minutes – should you find a fast enough rapid charging-point. As standard, the EQS SUV gets an 11kW AC maximum charging speed, although you can upgrade that to 22kW.

Fully recharging the 107.8kWh battery from flat using an 11kW home wallbox (if your house has a three-phase supply) or suitably fast public charging point will take just under 12 hours. However, the same top-up from a more common 7.4kW wallbox will take over 17 hours.

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Performance

The EQS 450 4MATIC gets 355bhp, 800Nm of torque and 0-62mph time of six seconds flat. The range-topping EQS 580 4MATIC meanwhile produces 536bhp and 858Nm of torque from its dual-motor setup – allowing it to perform the same benchmark sprint in 4.6 seconds.

We expect an AMG-tuned version will debut in the near future, offering enhanced performance that more directly rivals the Lotus Eletre R and Tesla Model X Plaid. It’ll likely use the same powertrain as the EQS 53 4MATIC+, which pumps out up to 751bhp and 1,020Nm.

The EQS SUV gets three modes for the regenerative braking (including one that should allow for one-pedal driving), which you switch between using the paddles on the steering wheel. You also get an off-road driving mode that optimises power distribution from the two electric motors when you’re on unpaved roads, inclines and rough terrain.

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Interior and technology

Now, as standard the EQS SUV comes with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display and a 12.8-inch portrait-oriented central touchscreen. But, it’s also available with the EQS saloon’s impressive Hyperscreen infotainment setup (pictured above). It’s a £7,995 option on the AMG Line Premium Plus model, or standard if you opt for the Business Class trim package.

The Hyperscreen system consists of three separate screens housed under a single piece of scratch-resistant glass that spans the entire dashboard – a 12.3-inch driver’s display, a 17.7-inch central touchscreen and another 12.3-inch unit for the front passenger.

Go for this setup, and front passengers can watch movies or TV shows while you’re on the road. But, if the car’s on-board cameras detect the driver is looking at the front passenger screen while driving then the system automatically dims it. And when the front seat isn’t occupied, the screen simply displays a decorative image.

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While it is roughly the same size as the combustion-engine GLS, the EQS SUV’s 3.2-metre-long wheelbase, combined with the benefits of the EV-dedicated platform’s flat floor means the EV’s cabin space will be superior. The second row of seats can also recline and slide for maximum legroom.

All UK cars will come with seven seats. With all seats in place there is a 195-litre boot, expanding to 800 litres with the third row folded down. Folding all the seats flat gives you a total of 2,020 litres.

While the EQS SUV is extremely large, Mercedes has fitted rear-axle steering to help with manoeuvrability. The standard 4.5-degree setup gives you an 11.9-metre turning circle, while the upgraded 10 degree setup cuts that down to 11 metres: the same as a Volkswagen Golf.

The upgrade to 10-degree rear-axle steering is one of several that can be done via an over-the-air update from Mercedes. Other features that can be activated at a later date include trailer manoeuvring assist and augmented reality for the navigation.

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Prices and equipment

Prices for the Mercedes EQS SUV start from £129,170 for the EQS 450 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus. You can upgrade to the more powerful EQS 580 4MATIC, which adds £10,000 to the flagship EV’s price tag, with the Business Class trim level costing an additional £14,325 on top.

There is currently just one wheel option available across the range – a 21-inch AMG multi-spoke rim – plus a choice of seven exterior paint colours. AMG Line Premium Plus models get digital adaptive LED lights and Nappa leather inside, plus seven seats as standard. 

Upgrading to the EQS’s Business Class trim line brings Merc’s Hyperscreen infotainment system, plus a heads-up display and screens in the second row. The materials used get an upgrade too, with this specification also including open-pore wood trim and special, contoured leather for the seats.

Production of the EQS SUV will begin soon at Mercedes’ Alabama plant in the US, where it’ll be built alongside the EQE SUV. The EQS SUV will sit at the top of the German marque’s rapidly expanding range of EQ-badged electric cars, which currently includes the EQA, EQB and EQC SUVs, the previously mentioned EQE and EQS, and the EQV minibus. Potent AMG versions of both the EQS and EQE have also been introduced.

However, Mercedes has more new electric cars in the works as it prepares to become an electric-only brand by the end of the decade. One of these new EVs will be an electric equivalent to the iconic G-Class, arriving in 2024 and previewed last year by the Concept EQG.