Mercedes-Benz has spent the last couple of years pumping out newly electrified cars from the baby EQA crossover to the EQS sedan in regular Mercedes and high-performance AMG form. But only now, with the launch of the EQS680 SUV, has the firm’s luxury Maybach division added electric power to its fine-dining menu.
Like the other cars in the Maybach line, the GLS600 SUV and S580 and S680 sedans, the brand’s first production EV is based on a regular Mercedes vehicle, rather than being a standalone product. In this case it’s the EQS SUV, though the addition of smooth facsimile of Maybach’s trademark fluted grille, two-tone paint, striking seven-spoke forged, disc-style, 22-inch wheels, illuminated running boards and a Maybach badge on the C-pillar mean it won’t be easily confused with the ordinary EQS.
That Mercedes-branded EQS has so far been available as a 355 hp (360 PS / 265 kW) EQS450, an EQS 450 4Matic with the same power but a heap more torque, or as an EQS580, offering 536 hp (544 PS / 400 kW). The Maybach 680 boosts that to 649 hp (658 PS / 484 kW), although the torque improvement is a little more modest, the peak edging up from 633 lb-ft (850 Nm) to 701 lb-ft (950 Nm), which helps drop the zero to 62 mph (96 km/h) time from 4.6 seconds to 4.4 seconds.
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That’s the European and North American cars, anyway – Chinese versions are restricted to 630 hp (639 PS) though there’s no suggestion that Sino-American relations have deteriorated to the point that cars heading Beijing’s way are being neutered at the Alabama factory on Washington’s say-so. Mercedes doesn’t specify a battery size, though it’s almost certainly the same 107.8 kWh pack fitted to other EQS models, but we do know that the 680 should be good for 373 miles (600 km) of WLTP miles, which is only slightly less than the 381 miles (613 km) claimed for the Mercedes-badged EQS580.
But with maybe the exception of the V12-powered S680, the drivetrain is only ever a supporting actor in any Maybach story, and Mercedes spends very little time talking about the dual-motor tech in the release info for the EQS680. Instead, the focus is all on refinement and passenger comfort – even the Dynamic Select driving mode system has been modified to suit, replacing the usual Comfort setting with a Maybach mode that uses data from an oscillation sensor under the rear seats to control the dampers in a way that prioritizes comfort for rear passengers.
Those passengers get to breathe perfumed air from the standard Air Balance package, listen to the 15-speaker Burmester 4D sound system, enjoy drinks warmed by thermal cupholders and sign off important documents by the glow of a designer lamp fitted into each C-pillar or the 253 individually controllable LEDs that form the Active Ambient Lighting System.
The standard rear seats, which are upholstered in more eco-friendly vegetable-tanned leather, are equipped with ventilation, a massage function and neck and shoulder heating, and with the Chauffeur Package the front passenger seat automatically moves forward when the seat behind it adopts a reclined position. For the maximum luxury experience though, you’ll need the optional First Class seating package, which extends the front center console to the space between the two rear seats and covers it in high-gloss wood trim to match the chunks of tree on the backs of the front seats. There’s also a solid rear bulkhead and fixed rear parcel shelf to help keep road noise to a minimum.
Rear passengers each get a 11.6-inch infotainment screen and can view and even input the navigation destination, while up-front the triple-display MBUX Hyperscreen dashboard that’s optional on lesser EQS models is standard and comes with some Maybach-specific graphics. Switch the Dynamic Select controller to Maybach mode and the needles in the instrument display become two silk scarves moving elegantly in the wind, which sounds like it might be a good excuse for getting out of a speeding ticket.
Mercedes hasn’t announced how much more the Maybach EQS will cost than the Mercedes EQS580, but considering the 50 percent markup on other Maybach models, a sticker the far side of $185,000 / £185,000 seems like a fair guess.
