The ultra-luxury EQS 680 SUV, which Mercedes-Maybach introduced today, is a beefed-up version of the current Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV that “combines technical perfection with Maybach exclusivity.” Apart from incorporating more Maybach emblems than we’ve ever seen into a single car design, which is the all-electric Mercedes SUV contains a few very distinctive, cutting-edge elements that you’ve had to see, both inside and out.
Finally, Maybach releases an electric
A modern sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz with a long history in the automotive industry is Mercedes-Maybach. The Maybach name has evolved over the past century or more, and it is now connected to the highest level of luxury and distinctive design elements that are only available to the most wealthy of consumers.
The sub-brand has become well-known for its expensive Mercedes S-Class plus a few other combustion-engine models, but it has been toying with the notion of creating high-end electric cars since 2016. The first of these was the 200-mile-range 2+2 electric coupé concept known as the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6. In 2018, Maybach released the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury, an electrified SUV concept.
The parent firm, Mercedes Group, has so far done a respectable job of adopting electrification and is releasing an ever-expanding portfolio of EQ brand electric vehicles, namely the EQE SUV we just drove in Portugal. We also got our first look behind the scenes of the completely electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV during our time abroad, which was just teased in advance of its official public introduction today.
The first electric Mercedes-Maybach, the EQS SUV, debuts
You probably already know that Mercedes is now producing some of the greatest EVs on the market, particularly in regards to their interior cockpits and passenger accommodations, if you’ve read about our rides in the EQS or EQE SUVs or have personally used the technology.
Mercedes-Benz’s electric SUV architecture has been upgraded both inside and out with Maybach’s EQS 680. Ola Källenius, the Mercedes-Benz Group’s vice chairman of the group’s board of management, stated:
Customers of Mercedes-Maybach demand the remarkable, and we work hard to live up to their high standards. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV combines our desire to be a leader in electric and digital technology with our emphasis on the luxury market. The first ever all-electric Mercedes-Maybach car combines the best Mercedes-Benz technologies with additional comfort and distinctive features which are only offered from Mercedes-Maybach.
Starting with the exterior, you’ll see the well-known star hood ornament that is positioned upright like earlier Mercedes-Benz combustion models. This is more of a tribute to earlier luxurious designs associated with the Maybach moniker because the automaker’s EQ series discontinued the upright ornamentation for aerodynamic reasons.
As you descend the hood, you’ll notice a distinctive radiator grille that serves more as decoration than actual use. As a result, the front of the vehicle has a closed-design twist appropriate for an all-electric era that resembles a more classic Mercedes-Maybach.
A lot of shining trim, including pillars, handles, running panels, and even the side bumper, where dozens of not-so-subtle Maybach badges can be found, complements the chrome that runs down the grille of the SUV. The driver of the electric SUV is treated to a unique light show as they approach the vehicle, which is enhanced by animated Maybach logo patterns that appear over all four doors.
We attempted to count the number of Maybach emblems incorporated into this electric SUV, but we ran out of fingers well into our thirties. There are numerous. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV also features distinctive two-tone paint with decorative pinstripes, as can be seen from the exterior. The exteriors that the designers will share can be ordered in one of five distinct colour schemes or a single colour if preferred.
When we remarked on all the chrome, one of the designers informed that Maybach was considering offering the EQS 680 SUV in a blacked-out version to appeal to younger buyers who might find all the chrome to be a bit garish.
Even though the EQS 680’s design is distinctive, it isn’t until you get inside that you realise this electric SUV is a Maybach.
The EQS 680’s interior is where Maybach really excels
The look of the recently unveiled electric Mercedes-Maybach SUV might not appeal to everyone considering the two-tone colouring and the decision to include chrome trim. However, the interior might be. The Mercedes-Benz technology in the Maybach has been improved, much like most of the SUV’s overall look.
For instance, the Mercedes-Maybach-specific initialization graphics on all three digital screens, as well as a broader deep blue visual style particular to this model, have been combined with the regular MBUX Hyperscreen in the EV’s cockpit. In addition to “understated” and “sport,” the electric SUV also boasts a unique “Maybach” display style.
Additionally to an MBUX rear tablet which can be used on the outside of the electric vehicle, the rear passengers receive separate 11.6-inch screens on the passenger seat backrests. The interior of the Maybach includes three distinct choices of ecologically processed Nappa Leather that was tanned using vegetables, featuring the rear recliner seats that have massaging features and a “feel-good ambience and protective effect for all senses.”
Dolby Atmos sound is distributed throughout the cabin as part of that holistic experience, which is, in my opinion, a major selling factor. There are two 3D speakers in the headliners and 15 distinct speakers total. When the Maybach team played some jungle sounds for us, it actually made us feel like we were in a theatre. One could feel vibrations surrounding the SUV, identical to at a theatre, and the audio quality is incredible.
Continuing, the swaying front centre console runs across the front seat backs and upward through the rear console, including wooden trim. What else is housed in that back design except a trunk fridge and a set of silver-plated champagne flutes.
The Maybach crew showed how the fridge may be disassembled and stored with just one hand while taking up a lot of room in the trunk. Although we’re uncertain where one would store an EV’s refrigerator when not in use, we don’t believe that problem will arise anytime soon.
Performance information and cost
Not to mention, Mercedes-Maybach has enhanced the electric SUV’s performance for the new 680 edition. Future buyers can anticipate the following features as default on the EV:
| Mercedes EQS 680 SUV | Specifications |
| Drive Architecture | 4MATIC AWD |
| Drivetrain | Dual motor |
| Yield | 484 kW (649 hp) |
| Torque | 700 ft-lb |
| 0-60 mph | 4.1 seconds |
| Max speed | 130 mph |
| Distance (provisional WLTP) | Approx. 600 km (373 miles) |
| Loaded charger | 9.6 kW |
| AC Charging time (0-100%) | 12.75 hours |
| DC fast charging (max output) | 200 kW |
| DC charge (10-80%) | 31 minutes |
| Distance after 15 mins DCFC | up to 220 km (137 mi) (WLTP) |
| Length / width (without mirrors) / height | 201.7″ / 80.1″ / 67.9″ |
| Wheelbase | 126.4” |
| Turning radius (rear-axle steering 10°) | 36.1″ |
| Luggage capacity | 15.3 cubic-feet |
| Joint power consumption (provisional values) |
24.4-22.5 kWh/100 km |
Mercedes-Maybach omitted from discussing in relation to its ultra-luxury electric SUV. We’d assume this one would cost quite somewhat considering some of its high-end design aspects, but we haven’t yet received those official figures.
Pricing, according to a Mercedes-Benz official, will be made public closer to the fall introduction of the electric Maybach.
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