[Akshay1234]

Mercedes EQS SUV Review

Mercedes EQS SUV Pros

• Well rounded product, good to drive and be driven in
• Futuristic interiors and exteriors, very unique
• 580 version means the power and torque is exciting
• Packed with technology and features
• Good real world range, makes intercity travel doable without a worry

Mercedes EQS SUV Cons

• Not exactly imposing looking as one would want an SUV to be
• Some missing features such as sunshades for rear windows, rear seat massage and ventilation, etc.
• Brake feel takes getting used to
• 3rd row seat is best suited to kids only. Not a place for adults
• UI takes a bit of getting used too, especially for some functions

This review has been jointly compiled with SDP. Thanks to him for the expert observations and photography!

Mercedes-Benz has launched the EQS electric SUV in India at a price of Rs. 1.41 crore (ex-showroom). It will be produced locally at the brand’s Pune facility. This is the second launch in the EQS range, after the sedan. There are many similarities with the sedan in terms of powertrain, interiors and features.

In India, Mercedes is offering the 580 4Matic version of the EQS. It is available with a 7-seat configuration as standard. It comes with an AMG Line package that adds sporty bumpers and 21-inch alloy wheels.

Powering the EQS 580 4Matic is a 122 kWh battery offering an ARAI-certified range of 809 km on a single charge. It drives a pair of electric motors producing 537 BHP and 858 Nm, enabling the EV to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds.

[Akshay1234]

Exterior

From the front, the EQS SUV is strikingly similar to the EQS sedan. With the DRL strip running across (it's off in the image because the parking lights were on). Not as butch as one would want an SUV to be, but sleek. AMG Sport kit does go rather well with it though:


The front is dominated by a dummy grille with a piano black panel with beautiful concentric circles of the 3 pointed star:


From the front three quarters, one can make out the teardrop (egg) shape of the EQS SUV. It does have a futuristic theme going on:


A closer look at the textures on the AMG Sport bumper. A little weird when one realises there are almost no functional vents.


Viewed from the side or the rear three-quarters is when you realize the mass of the vehicle. The bulk shows from here:


Massive 21-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/45 section Goodyear tyres. 10-spoke alloy wheel design looks good and is way better than the alloy wheel designs on Merc's other EVs:


Rounded aerodynamic design continues at the rear. A simple, clean rear with connected tail-lamps and variant badging:


Tail-lights have this beautiful 3D helix design and look really good:






Charging port is located on the right:


Bonnet can not be opened (for safety purposes). So something as simple as windshield wiper fluid top-up needs this strange cap on the fender:


Overall, the design of the EQS 580 SUV is pleasant and functional, but not exciting.

[Akshay1234]

Interior

On the inside, the EQS comes equipped with Mercedes’ Hyperscreen, which comprises a massive 17.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and an additional 12.3-inch screen on the passenger side. The electric SUV also gets features like 5-zone automatic climate control, soft-close doors, rear seat entertainment screens, 9 airbags and Level 2 ADAS.

Dashboard is pretty much identical to the EQS sedan. Futuristic to the max. Personally, I found the passenger display something I could live without:


Front door with the seat and window controls. Fancy looking Burmester speaker grille comes as part of the Burmester 3D surround system. The door pocket is rather large too, storage places are aplenty in the EQS SUV:


The cockpit area. Comfortable and supportive front seats, with a multitude of adjustments. They are heated and ventilated, and offer a proper massage function:


Rear door with the detachable sunscreen accessory. Notice the headphones stored in the door pocket:


Rear seats with good legroom and comfy seats. They recline a bit and move front and back electrically too. Unfortunately, only heating function is available here. No ventilation or massage. Very strange. But a good place to be with the rear seat screens and the tablet in the centre armrest. Overall, they are quite comfortable and comparable to the GLS:


With the 3rd row of seats up, a good amount of useable boot space is available. 3rd row seats are manually folded, while the little buttons on the right control the folding of the 2nd row seats:


Luggage space is greatly increased with the 3rd row folded. Airport runs certainly won't be an issue in this:


2nd row seats move at the touch of a button to provide 3rd row access. Unfortunately, the 3rd row seats are suitable for kids only. I didn't muster up the courage to try and get into them:

[Akshay1234]

Driving the EQS 580 4Matic SUV

The EQS 580 SUV has 2 electric motors with a combined output of 544 BHP and 858 Nm. Now I'll admit, I'm not very experienced with electric vehicles and have not driven too many of them (unlike ICE vehicles). So please excuse me if some observations are obvious.

Pressing the start button, the only way to know you are good to go is via a 'ready' light on the instrument cluster. Shift into D and the car starts moving forward. It feels just like any other Mercedes starting off - smooth! With the amount of torque available, the EQS is responsive like one would expect, seemingly always ready to get going.

In the city, it feels light and easy to move around - the bulk and length are hidden and one cannot tell they are maneuvering a rather large vehicle. The instant torque hides that even more, and closing gaps in traffic and overtakes are done extremely easily without any effort. The rear-wheel steering certainly helps and can be felt when a sharp turn is to be made, or even while generally darting about in traffic. When it comes to pushing the A pedal down, it's surprising how this egg-shaped car moves! It certainly surprised me and even my co-driver (SDP) with the quick acceleration and the big torque! Mercedes claims a 0-100 km/h time of 4.7 seconds, and I don't doubt this one bit.

The ride quality in the city is good, with the suspension doing its job very silently and smoothing out almost all the small and even many of the medium-sized bumps. Of course, it may not be as smooth as an S-Class, but it certainly takes the larger bumps better than an S-Class would, and for that matter, I felt less body movement than in the GLS too. What was worth noting was that it didn't always seem to be rocking around like I felt in the EQS sedan, and the suspension feels well-balanced. A plus point of the SUV body style is that the ground clearance is much improved, and we didn't scrape the bottom even once (even without raising it) when we tackled some unscientific speed breakers. The EQS SUV is an all-rounder with it being reasonably fun to drive, and comfortable being driven around in.

On the highways, the EQS SUV felt right at home, with the suspension absorbing undulations very well. When I got a chance, I put my foot down to the floor, and the way it speedometer needle was moving up was thrilling! Slowing down for heavy traffic, and getting back to cruising speed is effortless. What is notable is the high-speed stability and overall behaviour of the suspension. At any speed, it was rock solid, with good feedback from the steering. When it comes to corners, the EQS holds its line very well with limited body roll, making one want to push it more! I did push it into a couple of corners and did some high-speed lane changes and it surprised me. It is a fun vehicle to drive on the open roads too. In fact, on the state highway with a single lane on each side was where we enjoyed the car the most, with the instant torque to close gaps and overtakes, and the suspension taking in the rough patches without hesitation all while being in absolute silence. Mercedes has done a splendid job with the insulation on this thing.

When it comes to the brakes, when the regeneration was in the normal setting, the braking felt confident. It slows the EQS SUV down as one would expect and without too much effort. The feel is a bit mushy, but one gets the hang of it reasonably quickly. But with the regeneration off, the braking felt a bit inadequate, especially when hard braking was needed. The pedal had to be pushed in a bit too hard to get the desired braking force, which was a bit disconcerting. This took away some of the fun that I was having while pushing the vehicle on the back roads. With no regeneration, it felt a bit more natural to drive especially in the city, since the vehicle would roll freely with the foot off the accelerator, while with normal regeneration, it felt like it was slowing down too quickly. But this has more to do with my individual driving style and electric vehicle behaviour in general rather than with the EQS itself.

Lastly, we couldn't do much testing when it came to the range. But in about 180 km of driving, which was about 30% city, 10% highway and about 60% on a single-lane state highway - with a fair bit of enthusiastic driving, the battery level dropped by 25%. So while the real-world range may be a bit less than what Mercedes claims, I don't think one would have range anxiety with ~550-600 km of available range.

All in all, this is a well-rounded product. The instant torque and good acceleration, coupled with the trick suspension that is comfortable and stable, along with the direct steering and predictable and flat cornering make it fun to drive. The way the bumps are handled, with good sound insulation makes it good to be driven around in as well. This would certainly be my pick over the sedan, especially since one wouldn't have to watch out for each and every speed breaker.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Doge]

Mercedes really dropped the ball on their EQ series styling. Not only do they all look like melting blobs but they all also look kinda the same. I saw this car the other day on a flat bed and thought it's an EQE or whatever they're called but then I noticed the Maybach like wheels. Same goes for their EQ sedans, aero dynamics doesn't mean a car has to look so uninspired!

[vivasvaan]

The passenger side screen genuinely is a little too much I'd say!

[sunikkat]

After seeing the recent price drop in EQS sedan, how can someone confidently buy this at this price? Unless, for the potential buyer money doesn’t matter.

[throttleflick]

I can’t imagine the cost of repairs on the dashboard if an accident were to happen and the airbags deploy.

[Venkatesh]

On the 10th anniversary of Govt’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Mercedes-Benz India roll-out its second world-class BEV- EQS SUV 580 4MATIC.



Link

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by throttleflick

I can’t imagine the cost of repairs on the dashboard if an accident were to happen and the airbags deploy.

I don’t think the airbags are in the dash in these cars, it might be in the steering or A pillar mostly. You cannot have airbags behind glass screen, it surely will be a disaster.

[pqr]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Mercedes EQS SUV Cons

• Not exactly imposing looking as one would want an SUV to be

Toyota Innova Hycross has better upright SUV styling than this eggshell-inspired slippery Mercedes Crossover.

This approach makes the EQS SUV more efficient than its competitors, but the downside is a terrible-looking crossover (subjective view). Because in the EV R&D world, aerodynamics is more crucial than weight for efficiency, and Mercedes here has made a wrong trade-off globally.

Originally Posted by Venkatesh

‘Make in India’ initiative

‘Made in the USA’ and later ‘assembled in India’ with imported kit at 15% custom duty is the right tag.

[atomic2004]

God, I detest the overload of screens on the dashboard. IMO there's absolutely nothing luxurious about a giant glossy black slab on the dash with obnoxious touchscreens stuffed behind. Mercedes has seriously lost their way in interior design.