The Independent on Saturday

Mercedes EQS new flagship SUV

- JASON WOOSEY jason.woosey@inl.co.za

THE rapidly expanding Mercedes EQ electric car family now has a flagship SUV in its ranks following the internatio­nal reveal of the EQS SUV.

Following the EQS and EQE premium sedans, the EQS SUV is the third product to be based around the company’s dedicated electric vehicle architectu­re.

While sharing much of its DNA with the EQS Sedan, including its 3210mm wheelbase, the flagship SUV is over 20cm higher and the vehicle is said to offer “space, comfort and connectivi­ty” for up to seven occupants.

But perhaps more important in this segment is the fact that owners can fit up to four golf bags in the boot, but not with seven occupants on board of course.

Those in the front will get to enjoy a digital experience second to none thanks to the MBUX Hyperscree­n inherited from the EQS Sedan. This large curved screen unit stretches across the entire dashboard, giving front passengers their own display and control area. Occupants of that lucky seat can also watch movies, which will dim automatica­lly when the car’s advanced camera system determines that the driver is trying to watch too.

This luxurious vehicle also aims to take the audio experience to the next level with a Dolby Atmos sound system, in which individual instrument­s or voices of the studio mix can be placed all around the listening area.

Owners can choose from three powertrain options, with the base rear-wheel drive single-motor format offering 265kW and 568Nm in the EQS 450+. There’s also an EQS 450 4Matic version which boasts dual-motor allwheel drive capability and while power remains at 265kW, this model offers an impressive 800Nm of torque.

The flagship of the range is the EQS 580 4Matic all-wheel drive model, which treats owners to 400kW and 858Nm.

Between charges, the base model is said to allow a range of between 536km and 660km on the WLTP cycle, according to Mercedes, while the allwheel drive variants can reportedly manage between 507kW and 613km.

Keeping you and your passengers comfy on all road surfaces is an Airmatic air suspension system with

continuous­ly adjustable damping as standard equipment. Thanks to this the vehicle’s height can be raised or lowered by several centimetre­s. Rearaxle steering is standard too, while allwheel drive models feature an Offroad mode to assist with rougher terrain.

The company has also put considerab­le effort into ensuring that the production process of this vehicle is as ecological­ly friendly as possible.

“With the EQS SUV, MercedesBe­nz is taking a major step towards zero-emission mobility and is moving a step closer to fulfilling Ambition 2039,” Mercedes says.

“The model is produced in a completely CO2-neutral way. The EQS SUV puts real solutions for emission-free mobility, intelligen­t resource conservati­on and responsibl­e circular economy on the road.”

 ?? ?? MERCEDES has a new flagship SUV.
MERCEDES has a new flagship SUV.

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