The Mercedes showrooms are getting an electrical addition: after the EQS and EQE, the third model series based on the EVA platform can now be ordered. However, the name could cause confusion, because the newcomer is also called EQS. However, the abbreviation SUV is added, because it is, so to speak, the SUV version of the EQS. This marks the flagship of the electric SUV models, very similar to what the conventional models of the GLS do.
An electric SUV over five meters long with up to seven seats? In Europe, these dimensions should not exactly meet with enthusiasm. Here they love it more compact. But we are no longer the measure of all things in the automotive world. China and the US set the tone. This is where the buyers live who treat themselves to big cars, whether they make sense or not. Prestige and status are highly valued in the societies there. Not everything for aerodynamics The EQS SUV, with its 5.13 meters, embodies a lot of it, but without appearing too ostentatious. The designers have made an effort not to make the body as upright and bulky as on the GLS. The EQS SUV has pleasing proportions and is ten centimeters lower than its counterpart from the world of combustion engines. The design has a valid reason: efficiency. Air resistance accounts for more than three times the share of fuel consumption than the entire electric drive. All body details on the EQS SUV therefore received aerodynamic fine tuning. It ranges from the lower profiling of the running boards to special aero rims and the tear-off edge of the roof spoiler. During the vote in the wind tunnel, people even thought about camera mirrors, which would offer much less resistance to the wind than normal mirrors. But SUVs are also mainly used in urban environments, where aerodynamics are not important, but the displays for the mirrors constantly draw electricity. And it always comes from the battery. Drives from the EQS sedan Due to the architecture being the same as the EQS sedan – both have a wheelbase of 3.21 meters – the same-sized high-voltage battery with a usable capacity of 107.8 kWh is also located under the EQS SUV. The energy content should be sufficient for a distance of 660 kilometers, measured according to the WLTP cycle. The EQS and EQS SUV are also close in terms of drive. The 450+ is the entry-level model. It has a 265 kW/360 hp electric motor on the rear axle. The 4Matic variant also has 265 kW, but still has a motor on the front axle. The provisional top model is the EQS SUV 580 4Matic with 400 kW/544 hp. Mercedes will submit a Maybach variant later, which will certainly be given a few additional kilowatts. 15 minutes for 250 kilometers High engine performance and a weight of over 2.5 tons not only require a large battery, but also powerful charging management. An 11 kW on-board charger is provided for use at home, with 22 kW available as an extra. Up to 200 kW are possible at CCS high-performance charging stations (direct current), such as those found along the freeways. Mercedes designed the battery cells in such a way that the high charging current can be kept constant for as long as possible. It should be possible to “refuel” about 250 kilometers within 15 minutes.Three rows of seats, lots of luggageThe package concept shows that SUVs are increasingly taking over the function of station wagons. The trunk holds 645 liters, the rear seat backrests lie flat and can hold up to 2100 liters. No station wagon can do that. The rear row of seats can be pushed forward electrically by 13 centimeters, the trunk then grows to 800 liters. Mercedes also offers a third row of seats with two individual seats as an option. For adults, however, it gets quite cramped here. A trailer hitch is also available for the EQS SUV – and with it up to 1.8 tons can be hitched. The interior of the EQS SUV shows a familiar picture. The cockpit was taken over 1:1 from the sedan. The hyperscreen – it also costs an extra charge for the SUV – is already in great demand for the EQS sedan, especially among Asian and American customers. Display, brilliance and responsiveness are excellent, operation and menu navigation are intuitive. The basic layout, internally called the zero layer, always forms the navigation map. The other options are sorted above this. Everything is easy to grasp and easy to understand. And if you don’t want to click, press or swipe, simply use the MBUX voice control. It is one of the best that is currently available on the market. The same applies to the electronic assistants, of which the EQS SUV is teeming. This is part of the security philosophy of the house. Mercedes recently received certifications for semi-autonomous driving. The EQS SUV is likely to be the first electric SUV that can be driven at level 3. In congested traffic on the Autobahn, the driver can then take his hands off the steering wheel at speeds of up to 60 km/h and relax and concentrate on other things than just staring stupidly at the rear of the vehicle in front and wasting his time. The prices for that Flagship Unsurprisingly, the price of the EQS SUV is a few thousand euros higher than that of the corresponding sedan. The list starts at 123,144.00 euros for the EQS 450+, while the four-wheel drive EQS 450 4matic comes to 127,030.80 euros. The provisional top model EQS 580 4matic starts at 155,335.20 euros in the option list. The first deliveries in Europe are planned for December. The series is produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa (USA). (SPX)
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