You must be a very big fan of the sedan body type if you want to ignore the Mercedes EQS SUV and sign the purchase or lease contract of the Mercedes EQS sedan. And that’s not just because the Mercedes EQS SUV is available as a seven-seater.
If you want to smash more than 100,000 euros on an electric top-class car, you can go to Mercedes with the Mercedes EQS Limousine and the Mercedes EQS SUV. The latter, as the 450 4MATIC, is the subject of this driving test. As far as we’re concerned, the electric SUV at least looks better than its boot-sized brother. All proportions are right as a bus. The two electric motors – one on the front axle and one on the rear axle – can be controlled independently of each other. Variable four-wheel drive, which adapts to the driving situation. The system power is 360 hp, the maximum torque is 800 Nm.
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Bubble of serene tranquility
The Mercedes EQS SUV feels very familiar. Just like in the Mercedes EQS sedan, you’re in a bubble of serenity, even though your driver is driving on bad road surfaces. The comfort is second to none. As soon as it goes uphill (Mercedes holds the press presentation in the American Rocky Mountains), we change the driving mode from Comfort to Sport. The Mercedes EQS SUV reacts more directly to the right pedal, while the SUV is closer to the asphalt thanks to the adaptive suspension. At that moment you notice that even an obese SUV (read: an empty weight of about 2700 kilos) can actually be sporty.
Like a good-natured mountain goat
The rear-axle steering with adjustable steering angle makes the beefy SUV remarkably agile even in tight corners. In Offroad mode, the Mercedes EQS SUV distributes its drive forces between the front and rear axles, depending on which has more grip. Thanks to this trick, the luxury SUV climbs up gravel paths like a good-natured mountain goat. The fact that a wheel has to be lifted every now and then does not bother him. And then, unlike the EQS sedan, it is also available with seven seats and offers more luggage space, namely 645 liters that can be expanded to an all-consuming 2100 liters.
Conclusion
The Mercedes EQS SUV is more versatile than the sedan, offers more luggage space and is available with a third row of seats for two people. And it is even less expensive too. The EQS SUV 450 4MATIC costs at least 127,845 euros in the Netherlands, while you pay at least 129,902 euros for an equally motorized EQS with identical equipment.
Read the full driving test of the Mercedes EQS SUV in Auto Review 01/2023