Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Engine And Performance

Two years ago, a precursor to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV was shown at the Munich Auto Show as a concept car, and since then, the world has already been given the new Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV as part of the brand’s electrification strategy. The Maybach version will see the luxury and comfort turned up to 11, but with less attention given to making it stand out in terms of styling, contrary to initial rumors. Spy shots have revealed only minor tweaks between the standard EQS and the Maybach version, as it underwent winter testing in Europe. The upcoming 2023 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV we review here should arrive soon to do battle with other upper-crust luxury SUV rivals such as the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga, but the Maybach will be the only all-electric one of the three – and a comparative bargain next to the Roller.
 

When is the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Coming Out?
The normal Mercedes EQS SUV already went into production last year. It is built right here in the USA in the Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the only plant in the world that will manufacture EQS SUV models. The Maybach version will be built in the same factory and was already supposed to see the light of day as a 2023 model, with Mercedes initially promising that it would be coming out soon after the EQS SUV. The release date of the new Mercedes-AMG EQS SUV should be imminent, but no formal announcement has yet been made.
 
What’s the Price of the EQS SUV?
Like for like, a Maybach commands a price premium of around 50% over the equivalent normal Mercedes-Benz, as the S580 at $124,000 and the equivalent Maybach S580 at $184,900 illustrate. Using this logic, and taking the EQS 580 SUV’s MSRP of around $126,000 into account, the price of the base 2023 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV equivalent model should be around $188,000 before extras and delivery fees. A 700-hp flagship may very well cost more than $220k.
 
New EQS SUV Exterior and Colors
As we can see from the spy shots of the partially camouflaged 2023 Maybach EQS, there aren’t ostentatious changes or upgrades. You can see the faux grill and slightly broader headlights, Maybach-specific graphics are expected on the grille, and there doesn’t seem to be any lower side intakes in the front bumper. A model-specific fake diffuser in the rear bumper is also seen on the photos. If you cast your mind back to the dramatic sedan-SUV Mercedes-Maybach Vision Ultimate Luxury concept of 2018, and then to the rather more traditional SUV-shaped Mercedes-Maybach Concept EQS of 2021 (the red and black car below), you’ll notice how the sense of drama has been watered down progressively with every rendition and the latest spy shots suggest that even the slimline headlights of the concepts are gone in favor of a look that is very similar to the normal EQS SUV.
 
As with all Maybachs, there will probably be various bespoke colors for the Mecedes-Maybach EQS SUV, with a two-tone paint job distinguishing it from lesser EQS models. What colors will be decided on we’ll have to see, since current Maybachs vary considerably, from the 16-color palette on the Maybach GLS to the extensive 25-color palette available to the Maybach S-Class. Unique wheel designs are a given, and will likely start at 22 inches in size. The 24-inch wheels from the original prototype are a little outlandish and it’s probably fair to expect wheel sizes won’t exceed 23 inches. As is the case with other Maybachs, the B-pillar should be finished in contrasting chrome, along with the glasshouse surround.
 
Mercedes-Maybach EQS Dimensions
Since we’re pretty sure the Mercedes EQS 580 SUV is the template for the base Maybach model, and since both SUVs are essentially the same car underneath, the exterior dimensions of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV should be very similar to those of the donor car. The styling changes and Maybach-specific front and rear bumpers may add or subtract a fraction of an inch, but the car’s length should be very close to the existing SUV’s 201.8 inches. Likewise, expect other figures to correspond closely, such as the width of 77.1 inches without the mirrors (84.9 inches with them), the wheelbase of 126.4 inches, and the height of 67.6 inches.
 
It’s difficult to predict how much weight the additional luxury equipment and trim of the Maybach will add to the standard EQS 580 SUV’s 6,228 pounds, but we’re expecting a weight penalty of at least 250 pounds, bringing the overall cub weight very close to 6,500 pounds.
 

Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Engine and Performance
Mercedes-Maybach has not laid bare its powertrain plans for the Maybach EQS yet, but the Maybach cars typically skip Merc’s entry-level powertrains and we don’t expect to see a 355-horsepower base electric motor in a Mercedes-Mayback EQS SUV or a corresponding 450 badge. It’s fair to assume that the base Maybach EQS SUV models will have a 580/600 badge, using the current EQS SUV 580 as a starting point – and with more or less the same specs, which means at least 536 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque currently available in that car, courtesy of twin electric motors. This translates to a sprint from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Mercedes-Maybach also has access to the 649-hp/700-lb-ft AMG twin-motor setup that should drop the sprint below four seconds, should they want to launch a performance flagship.
 
Range, Charging, and Battery Life
Again taking the current EQS SUV 580 model as a direct comparison for what the base Maybach-badged model will be, the same 108.4-kWh battery should be present, which allows an EPA-estimated range of 285 miles on a full charge – a substantial 55 miles, or 16% – less than the EQS 580 sedan with its fractionally smaller 107.8-kWh battery. The AMG EQS sedan has a substantially worse range than the EQS 580 sedan at 277 miles. If we apply the same 16% drop incurred by the SUV body, we arrive at a somewhat disappointing 232 potential miles for a Maybach EQS with the top powertrain and the 108.4-kWh battery.
 
Supposing the same 108.4-kWh battery will be used in the Maybach models, expect a 0-100% charging time of 12 and a half hours on a 9.6-kW AC charger, or 31 minutes from 10-80% on a 200-kW DC charger.
 
Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Interior and Cargo
True to form, the interior of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, and the seats in particular, will be substantially upgraded over that of the normal Benz. If we use the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS as a guide, we can get an idea of what it possible.
 
Like the S-Class Maybach, expect changes like extensive Nappa leather, not only on the seats, but also on surfaces such as the headliner. Materials will be richer and a larger variety of woodgrain trims will be available. The biggest change will come in the back, where these typically chauffeur-driven cars go all-out to pamper the owner in the rear seat. To this end, the Maybach individual reclining and electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated, and massaging rear seats will most likely be fitted, along with other luxuries like four-zone climate control and power sunshades for the rear windows. The enormous 56-inch hyperscreen should be standard, along with all the other current Mercedes MBUX infotainment tech and a top-class Burmester audio system. The car will be extremely customizable inside as well – at extra cost, of course.
 
Unlike in the S-Class, the wheelbase of the EQSs are all the same at 126.4 inches, so there isn’t a long-wheelbase version and the interior space of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV should be the same as that of the normal EQS SUV. That’s no great hardship, as the 200-inch electric SUV, with its space-saving skateboard chassis and lack of a traditional powertrain, is already very spacious. It benefits from losing the standard model’s seating configuration in which a third row can be specified, restricting the second row’s legroom to just over 41 inches. There are no such problems in the Maybach, which will have enormous rear-seat space thanks to being able to move the second row back without having to make provision for a third row. We don’t know exactly how much space it will have, but it should be comparable to the 49-odd inches a LWB Mercedes-Maybach EQS sedan has – with significantly more headroom thanks to the SUV form factor. Since the two-row format is new to this car, we don’t yet know what the trunk space of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV will be, but cargo space should be somewhere between the current EQS SUV’s figures in two- and three-row configurations, which is to say somewhere between 74 and 23 cubic feet.