Mercedes EQS580 SUV review

Mercedes-Benz India always opts for the most opulent of locations to launch their top-end models and the EQS SUV certainly deserved the backdrop of the vintage Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad. There is less ostentatious branding on the EQS580, keeping it more in line with the brands’ other EQ models. The large blacked-out panel instead of the front grille holds tiny imprinted tristars that look classy and not overdone. The digital lights with a million pixels worth of brightness look similar to the ones on the EQS sedan and the 21in wheels give it the necessary stance of an SUV from the sides. Available only in the AMG-line exterior, the EQS580 blends gloss black and subtle chrome to a wonderful effect.

Designed to be a luxurious 7-seater, the EQS580 eschews the 2+2 seating of its Maybach sibling for more practicality. With the third row folded up, you can still carry a trio of cabin bags with ease, but fold the third row down and this may well be the world’s most expensive U-haul with 880L of boot space! But while the second and third rows can be folded down electrically, the third row has to be yanked up manually. Minor first-world problem.

The second row has a full suite of entertainment including 11.6in personal MBUX screens, a 7in tablet for even more handheld convenience which is tucked away in the fold-down armrest and even a pair of ANC wireless headphones! With more than 10 USB-C ports and two wireless charging pads, it would be a miracle if anyone in the car even spoke with each other! The quality of some of the bits here is suspect though with a rear sunscreen that is manually locked in place on plasticky clips that are stuck on the top of the door pads via an adhesive. Also, the rear seats only get a heating function and no cooling, a weird miss for our largely tropical cities. Legroom and comfort is no short supply though with a recline feature and those cuddly pillows that have become the hallmark of modern Mercedes rear seats. The third row, while usable for short distances is more of a 5+2 configuration, meaning adults won’t be comfortable over longer journeys. Short hauls as a family certainly would be the real appeal to its 7-seat USP.

Jump into the cockpit and you’re reminded instantly that you’re in a derivative of the S-Class. The 56in Hyperscreen with a giant 17.7in OLED touchscreen in the middle is flanked by a pair of 12.3in screens for the driver and passenger. Graphics and resolution are better than anything else out there, as is the processing speed. Augmented reality maps are addictive and the built-in navigation system was accurate enough to supplant Google Maps. The EQS580 also may have the most advanced HUD out there with full-colour graphics, gauges and even an off-road mode display right in your line of sight. Like other recent Mercs with the Off-road mode, there is a Transparent Bonnet feature which gives you eyes directly under the hood via a stitched-up camera feed and since this is a 4Matic, you can actually take it off the tarmac if you’re reasonable about it.

Using the zero-layer design has worked well for MBUX and with every generation, it keeps getting easier to get around the plethora of features. The climate control and audio shortcuts always remain on screen, no matter what and this reduces a lot of fiddling around. The ergonomic choice of putting the volume and drive mode controller panel way behind the cupholders on the center console is questionable though and not the most convenient. Also, the capacitive buttons on the steering wheel continue to be a hit or a miss and have a learning curve.

Featuring a Burmester 3D surround sound system, Mercedes leads the pack with Dolby Atmos support and a 15-speaker / 710-watt set-up, although it seems to miss a beat somewhere when it comes to outright clarity and balance. At least in comparison to other Burmester systems in the Mercedes line-up. It still performs exceptionally well when it comes to reproducing bass and the wireless Apple CarPlay implementation remains the best of the breed, but it left us wanting for immersion.

At almost 2.8 tonnes, the EQS580 isn’t exactly a butterfly on its feet but thanks to the prodigious 536hp and 858Nm available instantly at the flick of a foot, it moves. It moves fast! Nought to a hundred comes in under 5 seconds and you can certainly feel it on your neck and gut as you get pinned down to your seat.  The dual motor propulsion can be ferocious when you want it, but dial it to comfort mode in traffic and the EQS is probably the most soothing thing you’ll be cocooned by. Eerily quiet, fuss-free driving is what the EQS is about. We barely even used the re-gen paddles, of which there are four stages, but the pure EV drivetrain has been refined to such an extent that one barely needs to interfere with the electronics or battery management.

Speaking of, the gigantic 122kWh battery pack gives the EQS a class-leading range of 600 plus kilometres in the real world. Mercedes claims a monumental 809km as certified by ARAI and as overreaching that sounds, even with a heavy right foot and sport mode on constantly, we reckon you could easily stretch its range to 500kms and beyond. In fact, the ride in most conditions barring bumper to bumper traffic is must more planted and sorted in Sport Mode. Comfort just creates too much body roll around quicker bends and undulating roads.

The EQS580’s massive power shove is what makes it exciting in a straight line and can be addictive if you’re alone. Passengers might complain of nausea but the driver will have a big grin plastered on his/her face. Despite all the power, it’s under braking that you feel all that weight you’re lugging around and while a fun car, it certainly isn’t meant for a slalom. At speeds below 60km/hr, the trick rear axle steering helps by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction by 10 degrees on in the same direction as the front at higher speeds. It reduces the turning radius of this 5.1m car by almost 2 metres! The bag of tricks this car carries just doesn’t seem to end.

But this review must. In summary, the EQS580 SUV honestly feels like a gadget on wheels with its multiple screens, dozen USB ports, ANC headphones, Car-to-X and AR assisted navigation, Transparent Bonnet, Passenger screen with games, an HUD that feels like television in front of your eyes and the various ways you login to the MBUX system. Facial recognition, fingerprint or voice, you have all the options and once you login, it sets up everything from the ambient lighting to the seating position for you. Hot stone massages also are included in the superb seats. All of this with a price of admission that honestly feels like a bargain compared to the EQS Maybach and doesn’t feel like much of a compromise in terms of the pampering on offer.