The Mercedes EQS SUV – Ireland’s most luxurious SUV?

The Mercedes Benz S-class has been a byword for luxury and distinction in motoring for decades now. But the world is changing, tastes are evolving, and we are being ushered into the electric age. For some, it will be a sharp shock. For others, they’ll have the pleasure of switching seamlessly with the EQS SUV.

What is the EQS SUV?

The EQS SUV is a rather large all-electric SUV. It follows hot on the heels of the more saloon-styled EQS that was essentially the all-electric alternate for the S-class we all know and loved so well. The EQS was an achievement, returning incredible range and efficiency with incredible refinement. Now Mercedes have released the SUV version, with more space and a higher seating position.

Looks

The EQS SUV has been strongly influenced by design in the wind tunnel. It assumes a streamlined shape; more curves and flowing lines than some of its rivals such as the BMW X7. Despite this softer edge, it still commands significant road presence thanks to its obvious bulk. It weighs 2.7 tonnes, is 5.1 metres long and 2.16 metres wide.

Inside, the attention to detail and commitment to quality is astonishing. Our test car was equipped with the leather ‘macchiato beige’ seats and ‘space grey’ interior. Dip into the options list, as most will do, and you can treat yourself to heated, cooled, and massage seats.

One of the strengths of the EQS SUV is that you have the option of adding two additional seats as a third row. Thankfully, this doesn’t impede on space given over to those in the first two rows. The EQS SUV is a ground-up electric vehicle. It was conceived as an all-electric car and faces none of the challenges of a compromise platform that needs to house both combustion and electric drivetrains. As a result, you get bundles of legroom, and you will easily accommodate five adults of 6ft and more.

There is 645 litres of space in the boot. This reduces with the third row of seats up, but even then you get some usable space for a few bags. There is no ‘frunk’ in the EQS SUV. Fold down all of the seats, and space expands to a cavernous 2,100 litres.

Driving

The initial impression of comfort and luxury you get after sitting into the EQS SUV is emphatically compounded when you start driving it. The feel of the steering wheel gives confidence. The suspension is finely tuned to waft, ironing out bumps and all of those imperfections in the road. The dampers take ramps extremely well. Yet, it’s composed in
corners, belying its significant weight and height.

Our test car was the more moderately powered of the EQS SUV range. Don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s underpowered. 360hp and 568Nm torque will get you from 0-100km/h in a mere 6.7 seconds. But it’s not just the power, it is how the power is delivered. The electric motor offers seamless acceleration with no engine noise or vibration.

Batteries and range

Although the EQS is very efficient for its size and weight, it still requires significant energy to get around. As a result, Mercedes have equipped it with a gigantic 120kWh battery, 108.4kWh of which is usable. This gives a WLTP range figure of 624km. Although achievable in favourable circumstances, that is a little optimistic. Something like 500-520km is a more dependable, real-world figure.

The EQS SUV charges quite quickly. It comes with 11kW AC charging as standard, and you can option 22kW. We would recommend this to take advantage of those on-street chargers you use from time to time to top up. On DC, the EQS SUV will peak at 207kW. However, it has an excellent charging curve, and will hold a really high charge rate deep into the battery pack.

Price tag to match the quality

There is no doubting the EQS SUV’s supreme comfort, spacious interior, and overall build quality. As you could imagine, this comes with a lofty price tag. You will pay a minimum of €139,880. If you want to scale up to the more powerful models, prices then start from €168,265. This is before you even tick a single box on the options list.

Summary

We spent a glorious week with the Mercedes Benz EQS SUV. It was up to the task in every single way. It has plenty of power in all formats. There is great space, with the added luxury of a third row of seats. There is little else on the road to compare to it in terms of comfort and luxury.

The electric drivetrain elevates the comfort levels and with a solid 500km or more range, it isn’t left wanting. Many people have traditionally splashed out on big diesel SUVs. They should pause a moment before buying their next one. Take the EQS SUV for a test drive because it is truly remarkable.