Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV Could Be the Ultimate Riding Machine

• The Euro-spec model we got to see (pictured above) had exclusive 21-inch alloy and forged wheels, but in the US, 22-inch rims will be available.

• The powertrain uses two electric motors—one on each axle—for a total output of 649 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque. European range is estimated at 373 miles (600 km) on the optimistic WLTP test cycle.

• A removable refrigerator unit and silver-plated champagne flutes can be installed in the rear, as well.

Eye rolls, please. It will be a challenge not to stare at the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV when it starts showing up in affluent American suburbs this fall. While the gaudy electric vehicle's overall silhouette is the same as non-Maybach EQS SUVs, the differences will attract attention.

It'll take a patient soul to count all the Maybach logos and name badges Mercedes has applied throughout its new high-end SUV. Wheels, hood, and interior all proudly bear the name, but it's the logos that have really found a home inside (and outside) the EQS SUV.

They are clustered together on the front air intakes, on the D-pillar and generously sprinkled elsewhere. When it's dark out, more Maybach logos illuminate the ground when you open any of the four doors—almost expected on a high-end EV these days—as well as the carpet under the center console between the rear executive seats.

There's room for even more Maybach, though. When Mercedes first started working on the EQS SUV four or five years ago, a rule forbidding light-up badges was in place. Mercedes told us the recent elimination of this rule means a future Maybach EQS SUV will likely shine a little bit brighter where it says Maybach on the hood.

Even without obvious names or logos, though, the Maybach EQS SUV does its best to draw approving looks. The Euro-spec example we got to see had exclusive 21-inch alloy and forged wheels, but in the US, 22-inch rims will be available. Up front, instead of a three-pointed star in the grille, the Maybach has a smooth grille with alternating black and silver vertical lines.

The new face conceals a technological update in the form of a wider-angle front-facing radar. In other EQ models, the large front star doubles as a radar plate, and the beam is somewhat limited by the size of the ring around the star. Without that ring, Mercedes was able to turn the entire grille area into a radar plate, providing the car with improved safety features.

It's not just the Maybach flair that Mercedes is emphasizing with this modified EQS SUV. The vehicle's powertrain comes from the performance side of Mercedes' upgrade trims. The powertrain uses two electric motors—one on each axle—for a total output of 649 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque.

TheMaybach EQS SUV also gets a new unique drive mode that replaces the Comfort setting in the standard EQS SUV to put extra focus on maximizing comfort for those in the back by minimizing body movements under the rear seats, especially important for whoever is being chauffeured from the executive sleeper seat.

Think of the Maybach EQS 680 SUV as the Ultimate Riding Machine. While we were not able to ride in or drive the Maybach EQS SUV during a preview event in Portugal last month, we could sit in the vehicle and experience both the sleeper seat and touch the sustainably processed leather—a first for Mercedes—made using coffee bean shells and recycled water. Turns out, it feels as good as any other.

For the rear passengers, there are 11.6-inch displays in the front seat headrests and a standard, portable MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) rear tablet. A removable refrigerator unit and silver-plated champagne flutes can be installed in the rear, as well.

The standard Burmester 4D Surround Sound System is light years better than even the 3D Burmester sound system with Dolby Atmos found in the non-Maybach EQS SUVs. Not everything needed an upgrade from the standard Mercedes EQS SUVs, like the dashboard-filling MBUX Hyperscreen, AirMatic Air Suspension, rear-axle steering capability, or the new Disconnect Unit in the front motor also used in the EQE SUV to improve efficiency.

Mercedes said it expects the Maybach EQS SUV to post a range of 373 miles (600 km) on the optimistic European WLTP test cycle. In the US, the non-Maybach EQS SUV has a range of just over 300 miles.

Mercedes made all these visual and driving-style changes to the EQS SUV so it would fit in with the rest of the small Maybach family. Mercedes-Maybach currently sells two models, the GLS SUV and the S-Class sedan, which together sold around 21,500 units in 2022. Mercedes has not yet revealed official pricing details for the Maybach EQS SUV, but it won't be cheap.

"Maybach exclusivity" means price tags of around $200,000 for the Maybach S-Class and $175,000 for the GLS SUV. We did hear that the optional two-tone paint will add around $20,000 to the cost of a Maybach EQS SUV, and that there will be five two-color combinations.

Part of the high cost comes from the ornamental pinstripes between the two colors—they aren’t decals but thin lines of paint that have to be applied by hand. On a vehicle simply besotted with Maybach details to ogle, a $20,000 thin line feels wildly appropriate.

Is there enough excitement or allure in this Mercedes-Maybach SUV to make your list of cars to buy with future lottery winnings? Please comment below.