Luxury SUV leads EQ line-up

EQS SUV to join Mercedes-Benz EV range as Audi E-tron-rival; due late this year

The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV revealed here as an all-new luxury flagship for the German marque's fast-growing line of EVs will rival the Audi E-Tron and BMW iX when it arrives at the end of this year.

As with the EQS and EQE saloons, the US-built EQS SUV is based on the dedicated electric vehicle architecture (EVA) platform, which supports both single-motor, rear-wheel drive, and dual-motor, four-wheel-drive layouts.

Power for all launch models is provided by a 107.8kWh battery - the same one used by the EQS saloon - packaged within the floorplan to give the luxury SUV a largely flat floor and what Mercedes says is the lowest centre of gravity of any of its SUV models.

DESIGN

At 5125mm long, 1959mm wide, and 1718mm tall, the EQS SUV is 82mm shorter, a scant 3mm wider, and 105mm lower than the GLS SUV. It also rides on a wheelbase that's 75mm longer than its combustion-engined equivalent, at 3210mm - the same as that of the EQS saloon.

The exterior draws heavily on the smooth-surfaced design first established on the three-year-old EQC SUV and which is also reflected on the more recent EQS and EQE saloons.

Key styling elements include a blanked-off black panel 'grille' that extends well into the lower section of the front bumper (optionally with a star pattern treatment), angular LED headlights (optionally with Mercedes' Digital Light functionality) and a horizontal LED light bar across the leading edge, all of which provide a clear family resemblance to other EQ models.

As on the EQS and EQE saloons, the EQS SUV's large clamshell-style bonnet is designed to be opened only during servicing, with the filler for the windscreen washer integrated into the driver's-side front panel.

In a departure from the EQS and EQE saloons, the doors are framed. They also feature flush handles as standard on all models.