Mercedes Maybach EQS Electric Luxury SUV Launched At Rs. 1.41 Crore

Mercedes Benz has announced the launch of the new Mercedes Benz EQS SUV in India, soon after the launch of the Maybach EQS SUV. The electric SUV is available in just one variant- EQS 580 4MATIC, priced at Rs 1.41 Cr, ex-showroom (introductory). There is also a best-in-class 10-year warranty available on the battery pack. (The highest warranty on any locally manufactured EV’s battery yet) It has become the sixth EV in the manufacturer’s Indian portfolio and sits between the Mercedes EQE and the Maybach EQS SUV. The EQS has also become the first Mercedes EV moniker to have both sedan and SUV forms on sale in India.

The EQS SUV is manufactured at the Mercedes Benz facility in Chakan. It is the second BEV from the German manufacturer to be produced locally. India is also the second country after the US to manufacture the electric luxury SUV.

Design and Features of the EQS SUV

The major design highlights of the Mercedes EQS are a large EV grille finished in Black, angular LED headlights, retracting door handles, Gloss Black wheel arches and side steps, and a horizontal LED light bar. These tie the SUV closer to other EQ models in terms of design. Many elements like the full-width tail lamp for example, could remind you of the EQS sedan. The SUV also comes with soft-closing doors. The AMG Line package gives it a sportier look and more visual appeal.

Compared to the more premium Maybach EQS, the regular EQS SUV has a simpler design with notably less chrome. It also skips the dual-tone paint scheme and the deep-dish alloy wheels that are characteristic of the Maybach variant.

Dimensionally, the EQS SUV measures 5,125mm in length, 1,959mm in width, and 1,718mm in height. This makes it slightly smaller than the Mercedes-Benz GLS. To be precise, it is 82mm shorter, 3mm wider, and 105mm lower than the GLS.

Luxurious Interior and Tech

The luxurious interior of the EQS SUV is packed with technology and features. Like the EQE, the EQS SUV comes in the 580 4Matic guise. It gets the MBUX Hyperscreen setup as standard, resembling the Maybach EQS. It seamlessly combines three large displays- a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch central infotainment screen, and a 12.3-inch front passenger display.

A head-up display with augmented reality navigation is optional. Other features include 15-speaker Burmester 3D surround sound system, ambient lighting, multiple USB charging ports, five-zone climate control, adjustable second row, wireless chargers, removable tablet for the rear occupants, dual 11.6-inch entertainment screens for the middle row etc.

While the Maybach EQS offers 4- and 5-seater configurations, the regular EQS SUV provides an optional 7-seater variant as well. However, the third-row seats could feel slightly cramped for adults in terms of leg room and knee room offered. The third row gets features like USB charging points, climate zones and cup holders. The boot capacity stands at 880L with the third row folded down.

Performance and Powertrain

The EQS SUV comes with a 122kWh lithium-ion battery pack in the 580 4Matic form- the largest  It gets dual electric motors mounted one on each axle. These offer a combined output of 544hp and 858Nm. The vehicle comes with AWD and can accelerate from 0-100 kph in just 4.7 seconds. It has a top speed of 210 kph. It also gets rear-wheel steering, dedicated off-road mode, adjustable suspension and more.

The Mercedes Benz EQS 580 4MATIC SUV is claimed to offer a range of 809 km on a full charge. Juicing up the battery is also a breeze, as a 200 kW DC fast charger can charge it from 10-80% in just 31 minutes. If charging through a 7.4 kW AC charger at home, a full juice-up will take 18.5 hours.

Positioning and Competition

The EQS SUV is expected to sit above rival flagship electric SUVs like the BMW iX and Audi e-tron. With the EQE SUV already positioned against these competitors, the EQS SUV will likely cater to the premium end of the market. It appears to have no straight rivals currently.

Mercedes Creating Headlines With EVs

Mercedes Benz has lately been in the news several times for stuff related to their EV offerings. It was last week that they launched the Maybach EQS SUV in the country. Soon after this, the Mercedes EQS sedan set a new world record by travelling 949.0km on a single charge. Furthermore, we saw the sedan getting massive price discounts and benefits of 45 lakh. In an attempt by Autocar India, the electric sedan was driven from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai.

The EQS sedan seems to be in high demand. The manufacturer has sold over 800 units of the EQS sedan in the first 18 months of its launch.