The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is their flagship non-Maybach electric SUV and is now locally assembled
Just a couple of weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz India launched the Maybach EQS 680 SUV electric flagship and now the non-Maybach flagship is here in the form of the locally assembled EQS 580 SUV at an introductory price tag of Rs 1.41 crore (ex-showroom); just Rs 1.75 lakh more than the EQE 500 4MATIC SUV. First making its global debut in April 2022, the EQS 580 SUV could be considered as an electric GLS equivalent.
In true EQ fashion, the EQS SUV gets a sleek design to help with aero efficiency all the way down to the wheels and flush-fitting door handles While much of the EQS SUV’s face looks similar to the sedan, it differentiates itself at the rear with a squared roofline to accommodate the third row. Rounding off the design is a full-width connected tail lamp setup with helix-like styling. The optional AMG Line body style which adds a more aggressive front bumper.
Head inside, and you have a cabin big enough to seat seven passengers with leather upholstery, ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof adding to the ambience. The dashboard layout is a familiar sight to the EQS sedan with the massive MBUX Hyperscreen dashboard setup. It comprises three digital screens–a 12.3-inch digital driver display, 12.3-inch passenger side touchscreen infotainment, and 17.7-inch central touchscreen infotainment–spanning a total of 55.5 inches. The cherry on top for the cabin layout is a nice touch of wood inserts on the door trims and centre console.
There are plenty of party tricks onboard the EQS 580 SUV, with one of them being the ‘zero layer’ software that puts all the important apps within the field of vision. Other cool bits include a 15-speaker Burmester audio system, five-zone climate control, electronically adjustable front and second row seats as well as twin touchscreens for the second row occupants. Safety is covered by nine airbags as standard and of course the ADAS Level 2 suite of advanced safety assists.
The main talking point is under the hood. The EQS 580 SUV gets a dual-electric motor AWD setup, enough to put out a combined 400 kW (544 hp) and 858 Nm. This is enough for a 4.7-second 0-100 km/h sprint. There are other performance tricks onboard such as an air suspension with adaptive damping, as well as five driving modes that includes a dedicated off-road mode. As far as range is concerned, the 122kWh battery pack helps the electric SUV offer an ARAI-claimed 809 km on a single charge. Speaking of charging, it has fast charging capabilities up to 200 kW.
Considering the all-electric Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 SUV is placed above the EQE SUV that already has the BMW iX and Audi Q8 e-tron as its rivals in India, the former currently has no direct rival in the country even though it is a premium alternative to the EQE SUV.