LOOKS
The 2024 EQS SUV is a large, four-door offering, with options for two or three rows of seating (up to 7 passengers can fit with three-row version).
The EQS is a unique size for an EV and has few direct competitors. It’s large, but not overwhelming in size, and the sleek design will turn a lot of heads. The large Mercedes-Benz logo up front and standout design touches on the exterior will grab your attention, including attractive LED lighting designs.
A helpful side-step is included to help facilitate entering and exiting the vehicle. When turned off, the EQS’s door handles retract inside the doors, as is common on EVs. It also features large, 21-inch wheels with sharp black accents, and my test vehicle sported an attractive Twilight Blue Metallic paint job.
Moving inside the EQS SUV, you’ll find supremely comfortable leather seating with plenty of leg and head room for passengers in the two-row version, beautiful wood trim features, a classy design on the large tech screens, soft headliners that feel great on the back of your head, and hidden drink holders in the center of the rear seats.
The EQS offers a premium experience all around, and offers ambient lighting that is highly customizable. Its massaging seats offer many styles of massage and deliver a quality experience, and you can also adjust seat bolsters and lumbar support. A heat pump is also included in the 2024 EQS for more efficient cabin heating.
The EQS also features a power tilt/sliding panorama roof, heated and ventilated power front seats, multi-zone climate control, and soft-close doors.
Cargo space is solid in the EQS SUV, with 31 cubic feet of space behind the second row, and 74 cubic feet with the second row down. If you get the three-row version, there is only 7 cubic feet of cargo space in the rear with all rows up.
HOW’S THE RIDE?
The 2024 EQS SUV comes in a few different power plant options.
— The EQS 450+ that I tested features a single motor, rear-wheel drive setup that delivers 355 horsepower and 419 pound-feet of torque.
— EQS 450 4Matic features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup. Numbers are 355 horsepower and 590 pound-feet.
— Finally, the dual-motor EQS 580 4Matic features AWD, 536 horsepower and 633 pound-feet.
Battery pack on the EQS is rated at 118 kWh, a slight upgrade from the 2023 version.
The 0-to-60 times are impressive for a larger EV. Most stunning is a 0-60 just over 4 seconds from the EQS 580 4Matic. The 450+ comes in a bit slower, in the mid 5-second range. These numbers are a testament to how quickly the EQS gets you moving.
It’s also a super quiet ride with almost no intrusion from road noise. You won't realize it's even running at times, it's so quiet.
The ride is enhanced by an adjustable air suspension with adaptive damping (which adjusts height of the EQS to improve ride comfort and stability). It also features regenerative braking, and steering wheel paddles.
All the high-end SUVs in this category are going to offer top-notch ride quality, so the competition is stiff from Porsche, Tesla, BMW and others. But the EQS should hold its own against any rival.
The vehicle drives like a dream — with a floaty, smooth, responsive character. Drive modes are plenty, including Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual, adjustable via the center console. Towing is rated at 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.
TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY
At the center of the tech setup in the EQS SUV is what Mercedes calls its “hyperscreen”, a massive 56-inch screen which runs across the full dashboard.
Included in this massive screen are the digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, a 17.7-inch center touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen directly in front of the front passenger seat.
The center portion of this screen features a giant map display which is stunning to look at and quite helpful. The small screen on the right allows the front passenger to use apps and play games.
In my experience, voice commands were extremely effective in the 2024 EQS SUV, responding to all inputs without any struggle to understand me. The navigation feature is also extra helpful, with huge arrows being displayed in Augmented Reality style via the head-up display. Controls on the large center screen are easy to master overall.
The EQS also features an excellent sound system, and plenty of charging ports. It’s almost all touchscreen controls, which may give pause to people who prefer more physical buttons, but Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system continues to impress me with how well it functions.
The EQS also features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charger, and a crisp and powerful-sounding Burmester 3D Surround Sound audio system. An integrated dashboard camera is also offered, and the Acoustic Comfort Package option is also available to help insulate against road noise.
All in all, the EQS and the overall EV lineup from Mercedes offer some of the best tech features available in the luxury vehicle realm.
Moving on to safety, as expected with a car in this price range, all the bells and whistles are offered as far as safety systems, and they work very effectively.
The massive head-up display keeps your eyes on the road, and its multi-view cameras are helpful for parking.
Standard driver assistance features include:
— Automatic emergency braking, with cross-traffic detection (will apply brakes if needed)
— Adaptive cruise control (maintains distance to car in front)
— Lane keeping assistance
— Blind-spot warning
— Safe exit alert (prevents opening a door into traffic)
— Evasive steering assistance (helpful to avoid collisions)
— 360-degree surround-view camera (provides a quality top-down view of your surroundings, helpful for parking)
— Front and rear parking sensors
— Driver attention monitor (alerts driver if they appear drowsy)
— Parking system that can steer the vehicle into a spot without driver help
CHARGING, RANGE
The EQS 450+ I tested was rated at 86 MPGe (88 city, 83 highway). For the EQS 580, numbers are 83 MPGe (85 city, 81 highway).
The vehicle can be charged overnight with a 240V home charger, and is equipped for quick charging in public at properly equipped DC Fast Chargers, which can get up to 80 percent battery in roughly a half-hour. This is good news for road trips, which are often a difficult prospect for other EVs that can take longer to charge.
Range is arguably the most important stat for an EV, and the EQS comes through with impressive numbers. Official range on the EQS 450+ SUV I tested was 339 miles, but real-world testing has shown this vehicle can actually top 400 miles of range on a full charge. These are among the best numbers in the business for an EV this size.
With range anxiety not a concern, the EQS can position itself as a leader in the electric luxury SUV category.
PRICE
Considering everything it delivers and its place as the flagship EV for Mercedes, it’s not a surprise that the EQS SUV will cost a pretty penny.
My test vehicle was priced around $111K after options, and the overall price range of the EQS runs between $105K and $136K, meaning it’s target audience is those with substantial financial capabilities.
At those prices, it’s competing against high-end SUVs in the EV world such as the Lucid Air and the Tesla Model X Plaid.
Trim levels include Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle.
Among the warranties included with the EQS are:
— 4-Year/50,000 Mile New Vehicle Warranty
— 10-year/155,000 mile EV battery warranty
— Complementary scheduled maintenance for 2 Years or 20,000 miles
BOTTOM LINE
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS is a large, roomy, classy, high-tech, electric SUV with tremendous range. It offers a nearly perfect combination of luxury design and electric power to make your driving experience one to remember.
It checks all the important boxes and is one of the best luxury EVs available right now for people looking to get out of gas vehicles and are willing to pay the premium price of the EQS SUV.
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