When Mercedes introduced the EQS last year, alongside the Mercedes-EQ sub-brand, we all knew a crossover had to be just around the corner. After all, that’s what people really buy, and companies do seem to love it when people buy their products. That crossover is finally here, and it looks primed to sell like hotcakes — if buyers can get over the name.
Mercedes-Benz has, for the most part, one of the more intelligible alphanumeric naming systems for its cars. Sedans are the A, C, E, or S class, in ascending order of luxury. Crossovers just add GL to the beginning — GLA, GLC, et cetera. But rather than naming its new SUV the (100) GLEQS, Benz has gone a different route: No new name at all. Welcome to the world of the EQS SUV.
What the crossover lacks in naming creativity, however, is made up for in the powertrain. Both the base EQS 450+ SUV and the top-trim EQS 580 4MATIC SUV share a 107.8 kWh battery, which Mercedes claims is good for a maximum range of over 373 miles. The company hasn’t specified which model will earn that range number, but expect it to be the single-motor base trim rather than the more powerful AWD model.
Neither model, however, lacks in power. The 450+ puts 355-horsepower and 419 ft-lbs of torque through its rear wheels, while the 580 sends 536 horsepower and 633 ft-lbs to all four. Both claim to charge from 10 percent up to 80 percent capacity in just 31 minutes.
The looks, overall, are simple and clean. The general outline of the current Aero Egg styling trend is still present, though the proportions on the EQS SUV seem a bit more geared towards aesthetics than outright wind-tunnel efficiency. Don’t be surprised if it’s joined by an EQS SUV Coupé somewhere down the line, with that Model X silhouette we’ve all grown to recognize.
The interior, however, is where the real reminders come that this is a Mercedes-Benz. The “Hyperscreen” is back, stretching the width of the dash, though only on the top trim — base models will have to make due with three separate screens, like some sort of medieval peasantry.
Mercedes hasn’t released pricing for the EQS SUV yet, but “slightly higher than the EQS” is a likely starting guess. The company expects EQS SUVs to hit dealer floors late this year.