Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV review: Pinnacle of luxury in green clothes

For the first time in its history, a Maybach goes all-electric. We head to the US and get behind the wheel to see if an EV can do justice to the Maybach nametag.

Published on Sep 03, 2024 11:00:00 AM

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Make : Mercedes-Benz

Model : EQS SUV

The Maybach brand is all about elevating levels of luxury and refinement. While at one time it was confined to large stately cars, these days it’s on almost everything – SUVs, sports cars, and now an EV, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS. But can an EV make for a good Maybach? With an electric’s inherently quieter and smoother running, that’s half the job done. What about the rest?

Mercedes-Maybach EQS exterior style

It’s the EQS SUV in the same dimensions but with way more bling and branding. The massive black grille panel now has vertical chrome-plated strips creating the Maybach waterfall grille, and the panel, being made out of indium, allows radar beams to permeate through, so there’s no unsightly radar panel visible.

It’s the EQS SUV in the same dimensions but with way more bling and branding.

The three-pointed star moves to the bonnet top, and you get two-tone colouring that has now become a Maybach trademark. The upper area is in darker shades of black or blue, with the lower area available in a choice of Selenite Gray, Silver, Kalahari Gold or Velvet Brown.

In the lower air dam area, the Maybach logo is in a filigree effect at the corners, but some may find this too much. The classic Maybach lettering is engraved on a chrome strip that can be found in the centre of the continuous light bar. It lights up as well. The digital headlamps have a special Maybach light show for welcome and goodbye.

Around the side, you get 21-inch wheels that come in either the multi-spoke Maybach or the five-hole design, and the wheel arches have black cladding that runs across under the doors as well, with the chrome side step. Here, too, one can find the Maybach lettering. Chrome surrounds the window area, and the B pillar is also in galvanised chrome. There’s a Maybach emblem on the D pillar, too.

With the gazillion logos, emblems and badges, there is no mistaking that this is a Maybach.

At the rear, the helix tail-lamps with the connected bar are the same, but you get more chrome on the spoiler lip, the rear bumper and the Maybach lettering above the lights. It looks stately, and with the gazillion logos, emblems and badges, there is no mistaking that this is a Maybach.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS interior

It’s a familiar layout, with the massive end-to-end glass panel that has three screens, which have Maybach-specific start-up sequences. The console has open-pore wood or black gloss, and there are subtle rose gold accents running across the AC vents to the doors. The UI is in a deep blue, and in the Maybach mode, the instruments don’t have the standard needles but a silk-scarf-like pointer that rises and falls with your acceleration or deceleration.

With the comfort-door package, when you have the key, the otherwise flush door handles extend out automatically on approach. Once inside, the chauffeur can shut their door by pressing the brake so that they don’t have to extend their arm out. The other doors can also be opened or closed via the MBUX screen, so you don’t have to sully your fingers or extend an arm. This is the pinnacle of luxury, remember?

The biggest difference and the best change, in my opinion, is in the back seat. If you go whole hog with the First Class package, you get the comfort seats, which are much better than those in the standard EQS. The chauffeur package even allows you to stretch out full length behind the passenger seat.

In the First Class package, the centre console is a continuous beam from front to rear, dividing the rear in half, so this is for two people only. The central area houses two thermal cup holders and a small storage area covered by a shutter that can be opened electronically. There are two 11.6-inch entertainment screens that can be hooked up to via HDMI ports, and they also give you drive and navigation info. There’s also a tablet in the central console for rear passengers to access various functions. You can even get fold-away tables and a cooled box for the champagne and goblets.

With this Maybach being an EV, the cabin is silent, but there’s extensive work done to manage acoustics, and it all adds up to provide complete calm inside. It’s like wafting along in your own spa on wheels. There are extensive levels of pampering with ventilated seats, massage functions that include a calf massage and sound from a 15-speaker Burmester 4D sound system with Dolby Atmos. The Energiser package offers a variety of ambient lighting and auditory experiences as well as active scenting to suit your mood.

Then, of course, there is the massive panoramic sunroof that offers you an extensive view, making this cabin feel super spacious, which is the case with this configuration of seats. The legroom and headroom are ample.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS drive and performance

The 680 variant of the Maybach has two permanently excited synchronous motors, and they put out exciting levels of performance. You get 658hp and a whopping 900Nm of torque, propelling you to 100kph in just 4.4 seconds. Get behind the wheel, and it is a joyful experience. Hard acceleration gives you an adrenaline-inducing shove back into your seat, and you reel in cars ahead of you at an incredible pace.

Hard acceleration gives you an adrenaline-inducing shove back into your seat.

With this level of performance and the rear-wheel steering at work, you never feel like you are driving a vehicle that’s over five metres. It feels light on its feet and easy to manoeuvre, too. On the winding roads around Monterey, I found that the Maybach EQS can hold its own around corners. Yes, it is softly sprung, and the steering is tuned for comfort, but you can still confidently carry a fair amount of speed around a winding section of the road, which is more than you expect from something like this. But it is not meant to be a corner carver; it is meant to ferry passengers in a relaxed, leisurely manner, and it does that brilliantly. It masks speed so well that it is easy to forget how fast you are really going.

It has all-wheel drive, so it feels steady and planted, but it also comes with the new disconnect unit or DCU. Depending on driving characteristics and the power required, it automatically decouples the electronic motors on the front axles. At low loads, it switches to 4X2, giving more refinement and extended range. The Maybach EQS has a claimed WLTP range of 600km, which means you can easily do something like a Mumbai-to-Pune and back trip without charging.

Maybach has ensured an elevated ride experience. In Comfort mode, you get a special Maybach programme with continuously adjustable damping, so the road imperfections disappear under the wheels, and the passenger feels like they are floating on a cloud. The softness also means a bit of movement sideways on very undulating roads; for that, it is better to switch to Sport, which firms it up slightly and settles the ride. Even in Sport, the ride is comfortable enough for rear passengers to forget about the road beneath.

The Maybach EQS can hold its own around corners too.

With the air suspension, you can increase ride height by about 35mm to ensure that you don’t belly any speed breakers.

Mercedes-Maybach EQS price and verdict

That the EQS would lend itself well to Maybach duty would be easy enough with the electric drivetrain, but Mercedes has done a lot more to elevate this massive electric SUV into the upper echelons of luxury motoring. Like it or not, for starters, there’s the typical Maybach bling on the outside and inside. The rear seats now offer a truly luxurious and refined environment. This SUV also addresses the biggest downside of the EQS sedan, where the rear seats were never quite as comfortable as an S Class. And for owners who enjoy a stint behind the wheel, it offers a fun-enough driving experience as well. How much would all this set you back by? We’ll know later this week, but expect an eye-watering amount. After all, this is the pinnacle of luxury wrapped in green.

Also see:

Mercedes Maybach EQS India launch on September 5

2024 Mercedes E Class review: Smooth and Easy