Mercedes-Benz New Zealand is taking its battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup into the really big leagues with the new EQS SUV. Just like it says on the box, it's an SUV equivalent to the super-luxury EQS sedan, but swaps low-and-sleek for extra ground clearance, a command driving position and seven seats.
The EQS SUV is being launched in a single model, the 450 4Matic, for $196,500.
You can think of the EQS SUV as a larger version of the EQE SUV (same platform and battery technology), but the EQS is 262mm longer (5.125m), 32mm taller and 10mm wider. There's an extra 180mm in the wheelbase, most of which is used not for the third row but for the second, to enhance space and comfort.
However, the second row can also slide fore and aft 130mm, and the backrests can be adjusted 14deg forwards and 4deg rearwards to balance second and third-row space.
Even with all seven seats in use, the EQS has 195 litres of bootspace. With the third row stowed, cargo capacity ranges from 645 to 800 litres depending on the position of the second-row seats. There's a dedicated storage area for the supplied home emergency charger and AC cable.
There's an optional Comfort Plus Package ($11,700) that adds a seatback-mounted rear entertainment system running on the same MBUX operating system as the front, including a separate control tablet and wireless charging for mobile devices.
Second-row occupants also get nice pillows (yes, really) and there is seat-heating in both second and third rows.
Mercedes-Benz calls the interior "radically simplified", with a portrait infotainment screen containing most of the cabin controls. The company's Hyperscreen, which unites three displays to cover the entire width of the dashboard and includes separate controls for the front passenger, is a $6700 option that's "expected to be popular", says the company.
The EQS SUV has e-motors front and rear for total output of 265kW/800Nm, while an enormous 108kWh battery provides a claimed range of up to 592km.
Airmatic suspension with continuously adaptive damping is standard. Rear-axle steering that can turn the wheels up to 4.5deg is also standard, with a $2900 upgrade to 10deg also available.
An EQS 450 4Matic SUV with the second-row Comfort Package, Hyperscreen and extra-turny rear axle totals $217,800. But once you get over $200k, who's counting?
