In the case of electrification, Mercedes-Benz is surging forward of different luxurious automakers. And nowhere is that extra obvious than the EQS580 SUV, which is among the most serene experiences I’ve had behind the wheel in years.
I fairly preferred the EQS sedan’s spaceshippy design when it first debuted, and I feel that look is each bit pretty much as good when tailored to an SUV. Certain, it is not as aerodynamic because the sedan, however the EQS SUV’s form continues to be mighty slippery with a drag coefficient of 0.26. The tail finish of the roofline does not taper that a lot, so the EQS retains a powerful SUV form. The hood has some creasing, however the remainder of the physique is usually devoid of harsh angles or different visible noise that may solely get in the way in which of effectivity.
Inside, the cockpit is almost a carbon copy of the EQS sedan — once more, not an issue, as a result of it is nice. It is not onerous to inform that lots of thought went into this inside. The construct high quality is superb, with my tester’s $1,370 Nappa leather-based improve extending this mushy upholstery to just about each floor. The wooden trim on the middle console is my favourite half, although, because it options steel three-pointed stars embedded inside. Three rows of seats can be found, however you can even go for a two-row configuration, which affords oodles of rear legroom.
There’s nonetheless loads of practicality hiding behind this plushness. The door pockets are massive sufficient for many water bottles, though huge ol’ Nalgenes will nonetheless have a tough time discovering a spot to sit back. Below the middle console’s sliding door are a set of retractable cup holders and loads of house for tchotchkes and the like. The storage tray beneath the console is big, and there is some further house below the armrest, as properly. Out again, there’s about 31 cubic ft of cargo space, which is lower than what the BMW iX affords, but it surely’s nonetheless sufficient for a household’s price of purchasing baggage.
The 580 is the beefiest mannequin within the EQS SUV lineup, and it’ll doubtless keep that method, as Mercedes doesn’t intend to launch an AMG variant in the intervening time. A pair of electrical motors, one at every axle, mix to supply 536 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque, which is sufficient energy for this SUV to achieve 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. The instantaneous nature of electrical torque means acceleration hits like a sack of bricks at most speeds, pushing me again into that comfortable Nappa leather-based as sound coming by the audio system gives a refined but futuristic soundtrack.
A little bit little bit of wind noise does not do a lot to remove from the luxuriating going down on this cabin.
Andrew Krok/CNET
Because the EQS SUV is not as aerodynamically environment friendly as its sedan sibling, there is a barely bigger quantity of wind noise at pace, however the automotive nonetheless stays largely sealed away from the weather, aided partially by my tester’s $1,010 Acoustic Consolation bundle, which provides thicker glass. The SUV’s normal air suspension system soaks up nearly each inch of nastiness on the highway, and whereas it can stiffen up and hustle round, this automotive is greatest left in its softer settings. Commonplace rear-axle steering makes city traversal easy regardless of the EQS SUV’s bigger footprint.
Regenerative braking is attention-grabbing right here, simply as it’s on the EQS sedan. There are a number of totally different strengths to toggle by, however there is no such thing as a true one-pedal mode — simply Clever, which mixes with the automotive’s myriad security techniques to maintain an excellent tempo with low-speed site visitors. The brake pedal additionally strikes as regeneration kicks in, to offer a predictable braking power any time my foot touches the pedal. Actually, I like the way in which it really works; it is by no means caught me off-guard, though it does really feel unusual after exiting an EV with out this setup. The pedal is slightly mushy, too, which is okay for sluggish, clean stops, but it surely’s not as confidence-inspiring on heavier, extra panicked functions.
This is perhaps one in every of my favourite automobile trims of all time.
Andrew Krok/CNET
The EQS SUV does sacrifice some vary for its bigger, much less environment friendly physique. The EPA charges the EQS580 SUV at 285 miles per cost, or about 2.4 miles per kilowatt-hour. Downsizing to the EQS450 Plus SUV improves vary to 305 miles, however nothing can match the outright effectivity of the sedan with its estimated 340-mile vary. However, the EQS SUV continues to be fairly good at sipping electrons, and my efforts behind the wheel return numbers that meet (and sometimes beat) the feds’ greatest efforts. When it comes time to juice up, the EQS SUV will settle for as much as 200 kilowatts of juice, going from a ten% state of cost to 80% in about half an hour.
I feel the EQS SUV is greatest loved at night time, as a result of its normal 64-color ambient lighting is a real sight to behold. LED strips lengthen throughout almost each floor of the automotive, and there are distinctive animations for altering the temperature or when the “Hey, Mercedes” voice assistant engages. There’s additionally a setting to vary the lighting because the automobile accelerates.
In fact, there’s way more cabin tech within the EQS SUV than simply some fancy lights. The 580 comes normal with Mercedes’ Hyperscreen, a dash-spanning piece of glass that homes a large 17.7-inch central display screen, along with the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the passenger. The most important show can present a large map with overlays for the radio, massaging seats and different options. The navigation does a superb job of guaranteeing a route contains loads of chargers, and each wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. USB-C ports are inside attain of each seat, guaranteeing everyone’s units keep topped off. The EQS SUV additionally comes normal with an entire host of lively and passive security techniques, together with adaptive cruise management, lane-keep help, lively steering help, computerized emergency braking, computerized lane modifications and blind-spot monitoring.
Hyperscreen’s default show is that this huge map, with a number of modals for music, massaging seats and different capabilities laid on prime.
Andrew Krok/CNET
Considerably surprisingly, the 2023 Mercedes EQS SUV is not that rather more costly than an equal EQS sedan. A base EQS450 Plus SUV begins at $105,550, together with $1,150 for vacation spot, however the beefier EQS580 SUV brings that value as much as $127,100. With some tasteful choices like $1,100 massaging entrance seats, $860 four-zone local weather management and $450 for sooner seat heating, this instance rings in at $132,880. It is a tall value to pay, but it surely’s in step with the phase, which is not actually about scrimping or saving — a BMW iX M60, for instance, will set you again about $109,000 earlier than choices.
For this a lot cash, expectations could be excessive, however the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS580 SUV exceeds them. It takes every thing the automaker has realized about constructing a cushty, attention-grabbing luxurious SUV and adapts it to an electrical future, and the ensuing EV feels each bit as futuristic because it appears.
