The New Mercedes-Maybach EQS Is The Ultimate New-Money Electric Luxury SUV

Electric luxury cars are inherently new money. While EVs have been around in various forms for more than a century, there’s nothing traditional and seamless about modern public charging networks. Likewise, Maybach is a new money brand. These ostentatious hyper-Mercs take German opulence and turn it up to eleven, shouting when E-Class wagons whisper. It was only a matter of time before the two met, and the new money combination resulted in the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV – a battery-powered Maybach serving up a weirder shade of opulence.

Let’s get the powertrain stuff out of the way as there isn’t a ton to note here. Still, Mercedes-Maybach has made some tweaks to earn this EQS 680 model designation. Output rises to 649 horsepower (484 kW) and 700 lb.-ft. (950 Nm) of torque, sufficient numbers indeed. Mercedes-Maybach claims zero-to-62 mph in 4.4 seconds, along with 600 km of range on the WLTP cycle. A more relevant number is 10 degrees, as that’s how far the rear wheels can turn with the optional high-angle rear-wheel-steering. This sweet little option cuts the turning circle of this 201.8-inch SUV down to a remarkable small 36 feet, perfect for pulling the occasional U-turn.

More is more seems to be the unofficial Maybach motto, so the exterior of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV gets more of everything. More paint, more chrome, more badges, more wheel face. To start, no fewer than five two-tone color schemes are available. I’m particular to the black-and-gold two-tone color scheme, although I doubt former Datsun 280ZX Black Gold owners make up a huge part of this ultra-luxury SUV’s target market. As for chrome, a fresh faux-grille with giant vertical chrome flutes really amps up road presence over the standard model, while extra shiny accents including B-pillar caps ratchet up the flex factor. Oh, and the front bumper flic inserts feature repeating Maybach monograms that evoke shades of Louis Vuitton.

While all the paint and chrome won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, the optional 22-inch wheels shown off in the press photos (21s come standard) are very good. The huge silver faces feel right for a vehicle this size, while the seven-spoke design and spun-on center caps are classic cool. These wheels are a textbook example of how to style a handsome aerodynamic wheel, something that certain companies don’t seem to be brilliant at.

Of course, the real story with any Maybach is on the inside. The Maybach 62 of the 2000s was as stunning inside as it was blobby on the outside, and the new Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV continues that tradition. Sure, the hyperscreen infotainment system featuring three screens across the entire dashboard gets a Maybach-specific UX, but that’s not important. Instead, people will care more about all the physical touches that elevate this thing to a higher plane of luxury. These touches can be as small as lovely pedals and projected monograms, but they’re often larger than life.

Take the rear thrones, two beautifully over-stuffed recliners likely nicer than what’s in your living room. Not only are they clad in sustainably-tanned leather, that leather is so deeply-pleated that the diamond-shaped elements offer their own take on light and shadow. In case you want to feel even comfier, press a button and your chair will do the full recliner thing with a proper footrest and all so you can kick back and familiarize yourself with the sheer array of toys at your disposal.

Mercedes-Maybach has extended the center console to go all the way down the vehicle, offering plenty of places for buttons and stuff. Rear passengers get a plinth that’s also a wireless charger between the seats, perfect for communicating on the go. Of course, if entertainment is the name of the game, two 11.6-inch rear-seat entertainment monitors each come with an HDMI port so gaming on the go is a real possibility. I bet whatever you put up on those screens will sound spectacular through the 15-speaker Burmester audio system that supports Dolby Atmos spatial audio. If privacy’s the goal, the rear-seat entertainment system’s headphones also support Dolby Atmos, because of course they do.

Moving beyond infotainment, the rear cupholders are both heated and cooled for your beverage du jour, while a display in the console lets you select which massage function suits your mood today. Need just your calves rejuvenated? No problem, this car will do it. Should you fancy getting some work done, two tables can be deployed from the console to support your laptop or what have you. Once you’re done addressing the shareholders, a panel between the rear seat backrests opens to reveal a fridge and two silver-plated champagne goblets. Who wouldn’t want goblets?

One of the big perks of electric power is reduced noise over fossil fuel power, and Mercedes has put in overtime making the Maybach EQS SUV a high-voltage isolation chamber. The panoramic moonroof gets an extensive re-work with new seals, deflectors, and covers that supposedly cut down on wind noise, while more laminated glass should help keep road noise at bay. However, as interesting as revamped moonroof seals are, they’re nothing compared to Mercedes-Maybach’s biggest noise reduction measure. It’s a weird one that actively makes this top-dog EQS SUV worse as an SUV. I’ll let the press release explain because this one’s outrageous.

The luggage compartment cover, covered with ARTICO man-made leather, is a transverse bulkhead fixed to the body, like in a saloon. It attaches to the upper edge of the rear seat backrest and seals off the trunk up to the lower edge of the rear window.

Huh? Yep, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is a vehicle the size, shape, and weight of a large SUV, but should offer the cargo space of a sedan. This is hardly the first vehicle we’ve seen with a hatch and a hard partition of some sort, but the partition in the BMW 5-Series GT was explicitly movable, and the partition in the Volvo XC90 Excellence was vertical rather than horizontal. In this electric Maybach SUV, overall cargo space appears sacrificed for noise reduction. The partition and upgraded second row cut behind-the-seat cargo space from 31 cu.-ft. in a regular five-seat EQS SUV to 15.5 cu.-ft. of cargo space in the Maybach. That’s a little bit less than what you get in a Chevrolet Malibu, which is probably the only time anything with a Maybach badge has been compared to Avis’ old reliable.

So why not just build a Mercedes-Maybach EQS sedan? Well, I can think of several reasons. Firstly, the EQS sedan just doesn’t have much road presence. It’s very aerodynamic, but it’s missing the imperiousness of a gas-powered S-Class, and that likely won’t do for wealthy people who want to make a statement. Secondly, rear seat space isn’t all that great for a five-meter vehicle. Rear headroom is the same 38 inches you get in a Toyota Camry, and rear legroom is only four-tenths of an inch better than what you get in a Volkswagen Jetta. Fitting enormous BarcaLoungers in the back of an EQS might simply eat up too much room.

While it won’t be to everyone’s taste, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV promises to be the ultimate new money electric luxury SUV of right now. The Rivian R1S is likely more capable off-road and the Tesla Model X Plaid is quicker, but nothing on this planet beats this plush Mercedes for sheer luxury. Expect a six-figure price tag and arrival within the next twelve months, with every single Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV rolling out of Mercedes’ American SUV plant in Alabama.

(Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz)

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