Overview

The second (and lesser-spotted) flavour of Mercedes-Benz EQS is an electric seven-seater aimed fairly and squarely at the luxury market. It’s a price point in the market where the once-dominant saloon is beginning to drop off in popularity, and as such is an SUV in the mould of the late and unlamented R-Class or the imposing GLS-Class, which remains resolutely in production.

The luxury car class has certainly changed in recent years. The Audi Q8 outsells the A8, the BMW X7 shifts more units than the 7 Series, and you won’t be surprised to know that the iX proves more popular than the excellent BMW i7. Currently, the only direct EV rival to the EQS SUV is the BMW iX, although Tesla will tell you the Model X should be on the same shopping list – assuming you can find one on sale.

Otherwise, if you’re looking for an alternative, and don’t mind it having an engine, the Bentley Bentayga or Range Rover offer similar levels of luxury, the compromises that come with an EV. Electric versions of both are on their way.

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What’s it like inside?

The cabin is a very familiar affair, looking to all intents and purposes like an Mercedes-Benz EQS saloon, albeit with more headroom. It gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 12.8-inch portrait touchscreen as standard as per most other models in the Mercedes-Benz range.

At 3,210mm, the SUV’s wheelbase is the same as the EQS saloon’s, but the body is slightly shorter, at 5,125mm. Still, the SUV is around 200mm taller, and the traditional two-box SUV profile allows for a third row of seats, giving the EQS passenger-carrying flexibility to rival the Tesla Model X. Needless to say there’s sprawling room in the rear, and to make life even nicer back there, you can spec it up with the Entertainment Plus pack, which adds two 11.6-inch monitors. Seven seats are optional, however, and the EQS SUV is a five-seat SUV as standard.

The centrepiece of the ensemble is the optional Mercedes-Benz Hyperscreen, which is like nothing else on the market. It is comprised of three large screens which turns the entire dashboard into an interactive touch-sensitive infotainment display.

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What’s it like to drive?

It offers superb comfort and serves up effortless acceleration combined with an impressive 375(ish) mile-plus range. The SUV version shares the same platform, its motors and battery packs with the EQS Saloon and it feels much like it to drive.

All versions come with a 118kWh battery, and it’s the motors that differ between models. The 450+ develops 365hp and Mercedes-Benz says its range is 410 miles. The four-wheel-drive 450+ 4Matic has the same power, but the range drops to 380 miles. The range-topping EQS 580+ 4Matic packs 550hp with a claimed 381-mile range.

Comfort is the name of the game here. All models get air suspension and adaptive dampers as standard, while driving modes make the difference. Four-wheel steering is also standard and very welcome, as it makes the SUV much more agile at lower speeds.

It’s such a shame about the brakes. They can often be hard to gauge – you’re never 100% certain how much pressure to apply to the brake pedal. Oftentimes the pedal will be weirdly lifeless for no apparent reason.

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What models and trims are available?

It’s offered in entry-level rear-wheel drive 450 form, with a pair of four-wheel-drive 4Matic versions in 450 and 580 forms available for an additional premium. Trims are AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus, and 4Matic Business Class Plus, and if you want to spend more than £200k you can opt for the twin-motor Maybach 680.

What else should I know?

The range is impressive for all models, but because of their huge batteries, recharging potentially takes an age. However, all versions get 11kW AC charging for three-phase units built in as well as 200kW public rapid charging as standard, assuming you can find a suitable charger. That means you’ll get a 10 to 80% recharge in 31 minutes.

Does this all stack up, and can this car’s combination of luxury, practicality and cutting-edge EV tech tempt you away from something more obvious, like a Range Rover? Read on to see how we rate the EQS SUV – you can also find out how we test cars to see how we’ve come to our conclusions in our verdict.