Mercedes-Maybach has once again taken to the stage to unveil its latest creation in the form of the EQS SUV.
The ultra-exclusive division of Mercedes-Benz is getting into the world of electric cars with its luxurious take on the brand’s already premium EQS SUV, and the good news is that it’s coming to South Africa.
The automaker’s local division confirmed that our market has been allocated a limited number of the new Maybach models, but has not yet revealed when it will be made available, or what its price tag will be.
As luxurious as you can get
Just like with the Mercedes GLS and S-Class, the EQS can be bought with Maybach’s signature hand-painted two-tone colour scheme with one of five options – High-Tech Silver/Obsidian Black, High-Tech Silver/Nautical Blue, Obsidian Black/Selenite Grey, Obsidian Black/Kalahari Gold, or Velvet Brown/Onyx Black.
The three-pointed star badge is now perched vertically on the nose of the car, and there are new vertical chrome strips at the front that evoke a more classic Mercedes look.
The radar sensors for the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are no longer visible, as the carmaker has used indium metal, which is permeable to radar beams, to conceal the panels.
Maybach lettering is etched into a strip in the side of the Digital Light headlights, which play a welcome and goodbye animation when the doors are locked and unlocked.
The Maybach emblem is projected onto the floor underneath the side mirrors when the doors are open, and the car is perched atop a set of either 21 or 22-inch forged alloy wheels.
An exclusive feature of the Maybach is its automatic doors, which detect when the owner is approaching and deploy the recessed door handles at a distance of six metres.
The doors then open themselves when the driver is 1.5 metres away, though they make use of the car’s parking sensors to ensure that there is space to do so, avoiding a situation where they swing open in a crowded car park.
The doors can also close themselves automatically when the brake pedal is depressed, and owners can deactivate this feature at any time using the MBUX infotainment screen.
Speaking of, the EQS comes standard with Mercedes’ Hyperscreen on the dashboard, consisting of three displays for the driver, media, and front passenger.
The driver display can be customized with a variety of appearances, including a “Pure EV” style that shows the status of the car’s acceleration, braking, and battery charge.
By default, the central touchscreen shows the navigation app, and the user interface is laid out in such a way that customers will not need to switch to a different screen for 80% of common interactions.
It’s not just the front passengers that have a screen, however, as there are two 11.6-inch monitors on the backrests of the front chairs that connect to the MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment system, as well as a tablet that can be taken out of the car.
Natural woods like Birch and Walnut are used for most of the cabin surfaces, and the seats are wrapped in Nappa leather with an Espresso Brown/Balao Brown Pearl palette, which can be optionally swapped for Macchiato Beige/Bronze Brown Pearl or Crystal White/Silver Grey Pearl.
The leather’s colours are achieved via vegetable tanning, an environmentally friendly process that uses sustainably sourced leather and items like coffee bean shells as the pigment for the appearance.
A similar thought process has been used for the carpets, which are made from nylon yarn recycled from old carpets and fishing nets.
All of the seats, including those at the back, offer heating, ventilation, and massage functions, and there are thermal cupholders that can regulate your beverage’s temperature.
There is also an ambient lighting system throughout the cabin with 253 LEDs, which can be customized with 64 different colours.
Other finishing touches for include rose gold surrounds for the dash instruments and aluminium pedals.
The climate controls feature the Energizing Air Control Plus air filter, which can clean incoming air of particulates like dust or pollen, and uses activated carbon to filter out odours.
Adding to this is a standard Air Balance Package, which adds a No.12 Mood Ebony fragrance to the cabin with a mix of sandalwood and spice clove.
Another fancy addition is a Burmester 4D surround sound system with Dolby Atmos immersive audio, which is projected through 15 speakers, including two “exciters” in the front seats that give it the 4D effect.
Shifting to the Maybach’s mechanics, it comes with Airmatic air suspension with continuously adjustable damping, which can be raised 25mm to improve ground clearance.
There is also rear axle steering of up to 4.5 degrees, helping to reduce the SUV’s turning circle in tight environments.
Power is provided by a pair of electric motors which generate a combined total of 484kW and 955Nm, letting the EQS rocket to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds.
It has a top speed of 210km/h and can drive for 600km before running flat thanks to a 125kWh battery.
The Mercedes supports a 22kW AC charger, which will top up the cells in approximately six and a half hours.
Alternatively, you can use a 200kW DC fast cable which will give 220km of range in 15 minutes, or a full charge within 31 minutes.
Mercedes-Maybach EQS
Join the discussion