Everything we know about the Mercedes EQS SUV in April 2021

On October 6, 2020, Daimler revealed plans to add new Mercedes electric SUVs to the portfolio, including a top of the line Mercedes EQS SUV model. Based on spy shots and the teaser released by Mercedes, TopElectricSUV has constructed what we reckon is the closest look yet at the production electric SUV. In here is everything we know about the upcoming Mercedes electric SUV:

Individual Design

In contrast to the strategy used by the Mercedes EQA and the Mercedes EQB, the Mercedes EQS SUV won’t be a modified GLS Class with a closed fascia. A new model designed from the ground up, the EQS would look dynamic with proportions that are not possible for a combustion engine product. It would have a sleeker silhouette, a more sci-fi front and rear lights likely connected via full-width light stripes, low-profile bumpers and closed-off grille. A lower ground clearance, shorter length, lower height, more sloping roofline and a more steeply angled back glass would give it a sporty stance and the complete identity of an electric vehicle.

The Mercedes EQS SUV will likely have headlights with a DRL featuring three light dots connected via a light band. It may get a similar deep black surface (instead of a radiator grille) with tiny star patterns. While 22-inch wheels are doubtful on the sedan, the SUV will likely come with this option, with lower variants settling for 20- or 21-inchers.

Hyperscreen interior

The Mercedes EQS SUV interior would be remarkably different from the GLS or even the S-Class. Daimler would replicate the EQS sedan’s cabin with SUV-specific touches.

The Mercedes EQS SUV will feature the MBUX Hyperscreen, an optional highly digital dashboard that will debut in the sedan this year. A large, curved Gorilla Glass surface would stretch nearly the entire width and mount three displays (driver display, central display, and passenger display) beneath it. The central and passenger displays would be OLED units.

The MBUX Hyperscreen with its full-width (141 cm/55.5 in.), curved 3D glass cover, and the three flush-mounted displays blending seamlessly brings a whole new in-car user experience. The central and passenger displays are OLED units. Almost every vehicle function, from entertainment to connectivity, navigation, massage, energy management, and more, is at the fingertips.

Introducing the MBUX Hyperscreen, Vera Schmidt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Advanced Digital Design, said that it is a “milestone” in the combining of analog and digital design. “For me, the Hyperscreen’s clear, minimalist design, and strong anchor points make it intuitive and straightforward to use, she said.

The MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment Plus package ensures chauffeured owners stay connected. It has two 11.6-inch displays comprising touch controls on the back of the two headrests. Optionally, the MBUX rear tablet is available.

The EQS SUV will come with a large HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Air) eliminating pollen, fine dust and minute particles from the cabin. Special activated charcoals filter out nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and odours. Expect the Burmester surround sound system with 15 speakers with a total output of 710 watts to be used on the EQS SUV as well.

Rear-seat passengers would also be able to experience a highly digital interior, thanks to MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment Plus. In the EQS sedan, this feature consists of two 11.6-inch touchscreen panels mounted on the backrests of the front seats. One can expect the availability of an MBUX rear tablet with downloadable Android apps. The Hey Mercedes voice assistant will be operable from the rear as well.

No virtual mirrors

Daimler’s Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener has hinted that the Mercedes EQS SUV won’t feature digital exterior mirrors. The Audi e-tron was the world’s first mass-market model to feature virtual exterior mirrors, and now, the Audi e-tron Sportback is also available with the same.

Wagner told Autocar that virtual exterior mirrors are more aerodynamically efficient, but they aren’t a smart idea. They eat up so much power that they don’t make sense, “especially on electric cars,” the world-renowned car designer said.

Dedicated BEV Platform

Daimler is developing the EQS SUV on a dedicated electric skateboard architecture called Electric Vehicle Architecture or just EVA in short that debuts on the EQS sedan. This platform allows “exceptionally quiet ride”, and presumably also a clever interior packaging for more space in dimensions similar to or smaller than an equivalent combustion engine model.

Range & output

Daimler has confirmed that the motors of EVA platform can generate up to 500 kW or 670 horsepower, drawing power from a battery pack with energy storage capacity of up to 107.8 kWh (net). As it is the flagship car, expect the Mercedes EQS SUV to boast the best possible figures. The EQS sedan will come in 245-385 kW (328-516 hp) power variants and have a restricted limited top speed of up to 210 km/h (130 mph).

The Mercedes EQS range is 770 km or 478 miles as per the WLTP test cycle. In the Mercedes EQS SUV, it should be possible to travel non-stop from Munich to Berlin or from LA to San Francisco. The EPA-estimated range would lower than the WLTP range. The SUV, due to the taller and wider body, won’t be as slippery as the sedan, which is now the most aerodynamic car in series production (0.20 Cd).

According to a report from jesmb.de, the Mercedes EQS SUV’s maximum permissible trailer load will be 1,800 kg (3,968 pounds). It states that the sedan features rear-axle steering in two variants: 4.5° and 10°. As the platform is shared, the Mercedes EQS SUV would have rear-axle steering, perhaps in the same maximum angle options.

The Mercedes EQS SUV should be chargeable with up to 22 kW with AC using the on-board charger and with up to 200 kW with DC at fast-charging stations. At fast-charging stations with 500 amperes, charging for 15 minutes may increase the range by around 300 km/186 miles (WLTP).

Made in the USA

Daimler plans to manufacture EVA platform models in Germany, China, and the United States. The EQS sedan’s global production will take place at the Factory 56 plant located in Sindelfingen, Germany. The contract for the Mercedes EQE sedan’s global production has also gone to that German plant.

The global production of the Mercedes EQS SUV and Mercedes EQE SUV, however, will take place in the USA given the high demand forecast for premium electric utility vehicles from ‘legacy’ car companies and electric vehicle startups this decade in the local market.

In an announcement in December 2020, Daimler said that it plans to manufacture the Mercedes EQS SUV at the Tuscaloosa plant (Alabama) from 2022. The American factory produces the GLE, the GLE Coupe, and the full-size GLS. The company also plans to make the battery packs of the US-built Mercedes EQ SUV models locally.

Daimler filed trademark applications for the names EQE 250, EQE 43, EQE 53, EQE 55, and EQE 63 in Europe last year. We expect the EQS SUV to have a similar variant series.

Video Source: youtube.com/Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes EQS SUV release date

According to a recent report from German site JESMB, Daimler plans to take orders for the Mercedes EQS SUV from spring 2022 (March-May 2022), and hence the unveiling could preface it in the first months of the year. Production preparations for the Mercedes EQS SUV and the Mercedes EQE SUV that will arrive later “are already in full swing,” as per the German blog.

While the unveil of the EQS SUV is in 2022, it wouldn’t surprise us if a near-production concept or the production vehicle’s exterior breaks cover at IAA 2021 (2021 Munich Motor Show) that falls two years after the EQS concept’s premiere. IAA 2021 is scheduled from September 6-12.

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