Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 4MATIC SUV : Living it Large

Singapore - Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is the hottest, priciest and sexiest all-electric offering from Mercedes-EQ. The Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 SUV is many things; bloody massive for one, but it isn’t a car that one should colloquially refer to as another run-of-the-mill all-electric luxury SUV.

It might bear the requisite design cues that betray its electrified underpinnings (low-drag shell, smooth front fascia, flush door handles, etc) but make no mistake; this is a luxury SUV at its core. One that just so happens to be propelled by electricity.

After all, EVs excel far better than internal combustion engines where comfort and NVH levels are concerned and in today’s world, electrified powertrains have been used to great effect in modern luxury vehicles. So when you think of the Mercedes EQS SUV as a luxury SUV first and EV second, it all starts to make sense.

Mercedes has done it before, and so have the other Teutonic varietals. Other manufacturers would no doubt follow suit but in our crossover-populated climate, it goes without saying that many would spawn electric SUVs instead of staid EV saloons.

There are a few key attributes that prospective customers delving into the uber-luxe SUV niche are on the lookout for. In most instances, these (well-heeled) individuals would often prioritise interior comfort and ride quality over outright power figures and appearances. To that end, the EQS SUV fills that role to a tee.

The Mercedes EQS SUV isn’t a car that would elicit desire in the eyes of many, but the massive gorilla glass encased Hyperscreen and dazzling ambient lights in the cabin certainly do their part to induce shock and awe. Or epilepsy. But whatever the case, one can’t deny that it is a polarising vehicle.

Just like the Mercedes EQS saloon, it is still very much a luxury vehicle with the same embellishments and ride quality you’d expect of a Sonderklasse vehicle - even if its insipid exterior design is broadly similar to that of Mercedes’ flock of EVs.

The silhouette of the EQS SUV bears a slight resemblance to the EQC 400 we tested two years ago but the newer car is a considerable step up where size and design methodologies are concerned. It shares the same facial features as the EQS saloon with its tapered headlamps and black panel “grille”, but wears its familiar face on a much larger shell. The rear end sports the same full-width tail light bar and a relatively smooth, featureless keister.

Like all modern Mercedes-EQ models, the EQS SUV is based upon the same EVA (electric vehicle architecture) as the Mercedes EQE and the larger EQS luxury saloon - of which this SUV is more closely related. So it shares the same 3,210mm wheelbase as the EQS saloon (and the EQE for that matter). The SUV is shorter at 5,125mm long and 206mm taller than its saloon derivative, but its towering height and girth makes for plenty of room on the inside to accommodate seven adults in relative comfort.

While it may be positioned as the all-electric alternative to the Mercedes GLS, the EQS SUV is considerably smaller than its ICE-powered derivative. But while it’s not a hulking behemoth of an SUV like the GLS it’s still a large vehicle, one that makes piloting this 2.8-ton SUV around narrower confines a tad tricky.

Helpfully, the EQS SUV does come with a nifty rear-wheel steering system that cants the rear wheels up to 4.5° for added manoeuvrability and an impressively narrow turning radius. In fact, the EQS SUV feels considerably smaller to pilot in and around the roads of Singapore at lower speeds. Get it up to highway speeds however and it’s golden, with its linear power band and near-silent dual-motor powertrain.

The Mercedes EQS SUV is easily one of the most comfortable vehicles I’ve driven in my tenure as an automotive journalist, alongside the 735i from the Bavarians and the Range Rover from the Brits. The car’s AIRMATIC air suspension does a remarkable job of ironing out bumps and gliding over tarmac regardless of speed, insulating you from the outside world.

With 360 horsepower and 800Nm of torque at the disposal of your right foot, the EQS SUV isn’t a slow vehicle either. It sprints from 0-100km/h in a hot hatch rivalling 6.0 seconds and tops out at 210km/h. Granted, its dynamism is inhibited by its massive kerb weight and comfort-biased dampers, making it a little ungainly when you’re travelling too briskly around a bend. But in a vehicle such as this, such performance metrics are all but trivial in the broad scope of big luxury EVs.

What does remain relevant are the EQS SUV’s range figures. Mercedes quotes a maximum range of 610km with an average efficiency figure of 20.5kWh/100km from its 108.4kWh battery pack. Our real-world figure of 19.9kWh/100km would lead us to believe that they’re being modest, but individual results may vary. Besides, it’s still plenty of range for a week of commuting and then some.

Again, it’s a luxury vehicle. One that seats seven and comes with heated/cooled massaging seats in the front, an eardrum shattering 15-speaker Burmester sound system (with Dolby Atmos) and a massive Hyperscreen panel - that houses an 11.7-inch central display and two 12.3-inch displays for the driver and passenger. For good measure, Merc has even thrown in a HEPA filter and a fragrance atomiser to keep the car’s occupants appeased.

Short of a fully-fledged Maybach, the Mercedes EQS 450 SUV is perhaps the biggest display of opulence from the brand with the three-pointed star, and its S$700,888 starting price in our test car’s AMG Line trim certainly fits the bill. It is a lot of money, but you are getting a whole lot of car for it.

You could save yourself 95 grand by opting for the Electric Art variant with fewer embellishments (Hyperscreen, Multicontour massage seats and open pore magnolia wood) but it's highly unlikely that the EQS SUV’s targeted clientele would be deterred by such superficial matters. Quite the contrary in fact.

Admittedly, it’s a more overt show of opulence than it is "stealth wealth", but the (no doubt affluent) buyer of such a vehicle sure as hell isn’t averse to living it large.

PHOTOS Jay Tee & Cheng Yu Hung

Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 4MATIC SUV

Battery 108.4kWh, Li-Ion, 400V
Electric Motor 360hp/800 Nm
Electric Range up to 610km (WLTP)
0-100km/h 6secs
Top Speed 210km/h (electronically limited)
LxWxH 5125 x 1959 x 1718mm
Wheelbase 3210mm
Kerbweight 2805kg
Efficiency 20.5kWh/100km (Combined)
Charging 200kW (DC), 22kW (AC)
VES A1