Mercedes-Benz launched the first-ever all-electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV in India today at INR 2.25 crore. This vehicle represents an opulent merger of luxury and advanced electromobility. This launch sets a high standard in the all-electric, top-end luxury SUV segment. The exterior and interior designs reflect Karl Maybach’s maxim—“What is good, must also be beautiful”—while also embracing the future of mobility with its sophisticated electric technology, the company said in a media release.As the first all-electric model from the luxury manufacturer, the EQS 680 SUV marks a significant commitment to reducing its ecological footprint while maintaining luxury standards. This model merges Maybach’s renowned craftsmanship with cutting-edge electric technology, creating a new chapter in the brand’s history. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV offers a blend of opulence and forward-thinking technology, presenting a vision of luxury that embraces the future of mobility, the company added.
Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “Mercedes-Maybach is synonymous with unmatched opulence, extraordinary craftsmanship and very high customer expectations. With Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, we redefine automotive excellence in the age of electromobility. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV manifests our ambition to lead in digital and electric, with a sharp focus on bolstering our top-end luxury offering. This very first all-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Maybach complements the best technologies from Mercedes-Benz with luxurious individual details, associated with Mercedes-Maybach. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV will add to the allure of Maybach for connoisseurs and trendsetters for whom luxury equates to sustainability.”
“With Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV we continue to hone our BEV portfolio further in India, offering a diverse choice for our discerning customers. We strongly believe there can be no luxury without sustainability and Mercedes-Benz will continue to create the BEV ecosystem for transitioning to electromobility of future.”
Market penetration
Mercedes-Benz is seeing steady growth and increased sales penetration of its Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) portfolio in India in the first half of CY 2024. With five BEVs, the portfolio caters to a new generation of customers seeking dynamic and high-performance electric vehicles, including the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. The launch of the EQS Maybach SUV is a key addition to Mercedes-Benz’s luxury BEV portfolio in India.
Exterior design
The exterior design of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV features the iconic Mercedes star prominently on the hood, with a brand-typical black panel adorned with vertical chrome accents and a smooth, integrated radar sensor panel. Chrome-plated filigree slats accentuate the bumper’s air intake, while the classic Maybach lettering is subtly integrated into a chrome strip aligned with the continuous Digital Light headlights.
The Maybach pattern appears in trim parts of the side bumper and is projected on the doors for a unique welcome. Side features include bold chrome surrounds on the windows and B-pillar, emphasising the vehicle’s length and quality, with a Maybach emblem on the D-pillar and subtly integrated EQS lettering. The pronounced wheel arches are complemented by high-gloss black cladding, exclusive 21 or 22-inch alloy wheels, and illuminated running boards with anodized aluminum treads.
At the rear, continuous light strip rear lights, and chrome accents on the tailgate, rear apron, and spoiler lip highlight the SUV’s exclusivity. The model offers two-tone paintwork in five combinations, applied by hand to the highest standards.
Interior
The interior of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV blends tradition with avant-garde elements. It features the MBUX Hyperscreen with a “zero layer” interface and bespoke Maybach animations, presented in deep blue colour. Highlights include an animated instrument cluster in “MAYBACH” mode, with rose gold surrounds and a silk scarf-like movement of the pointers.
The central display offers intuitive interaction, with options to customise display styles and modes. Rear passengers enjoy extensive comfort with two 11.6-inch displays and MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment, including a rear tablet for remote control and MBUX Interior Assist for gesture-based functions. The cabin features Maybach Exclusive Nappa leather in rich hues and optional MANUFAKTUR leather for added luxury. Natural wood trims and high-quality design elements, including the Maybach emblem on various surfaces, underscore the vehicle’s refined aesthetic.
The EQS SUV debuts Mercedes-Benz’s first use of vegetable-tanned Nappa leather, utilising coffee bean shells as tanning agents and plant-based fat liquoring agents. This process eliminates the need for salt, saving approximately 45 kilograms per vehicle, and repurposes tanning by-products into compostable products and insulating materials. The leather is produced with stringent sustainability criteria, including a transparent supply chain and chrome-free agents.
Mercedes-Benz aims to cut CO₂ emissions by 50% per passenger car by 2030, with a goal of net carbon neutrality for its new fleet by 2039.
Comfort
The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV also features automatic comfort doors at the front and rear. The recessed door handles extend if the driver approaches the vehicle from the side from a distance of approximately 20 feet. The driver door opens automatically when approaching the vehicle from a distance of approximately 5 feet.
All other doors can be opened and closed remotely via MBUX – with a simple press of the vehicle key, in the central display, or the standard MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment. The driver door also closes automatically as soon as the brake pedal is pressed. In each door, an electric servomotor on the catch strap swings the doors open and closed in a controlled manner, using ultrasonic sensors of the parking assistance systems to prevent damage.
When the doors detect an obstacle, additional information from the cameras in the exterior mirrors is used. Proximity sensors in the doors are also active when the vehicle is stationary.
The SUV features adaptive rear lighting with designer lamps in each C-pillar, adjustable reading lights in the grab handles, and customisable light strips in the headlining. Ambient Lighting extends throughout the vehicle, including the roof liner and behind the rear seats, with Active Ambient Lighting offering 253 controllable LEDs and 64 color options, including exclusive Maybach hues like Rose Gold White and Amethyst Glow. The “Welcome” presentation features a light carpet that highlights the rear doors, enhancing the cocooning effect.
Features
The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV delivers a superior audio experience with the standard Burmester 4D surround sound system and Dolby Atmos technology. Featuring 15 speakers, including bass speakers, 3D speakers, and seat exciters, replicating the artist’s original studio sound. The system supports individual sound adjustment per MBUX profile and provides a four-dimensional listening experience. The “Aerial Grace” driving sound, unique to this electric model, adapts in real-time to driving parameters for an interactive acoustic experience.
The SUV excels in noise and vibration control. It features comprehensive NVH measures, including encapsulated drive trains, innovative support frames, and double decoupling of drive units. Enhanced acoustic foams and underbody ramps minimise road noise.
The SUV features Airmatic air suspension with continuously adaptive damping (ADS+) as standard, allowing a ground clearance increase of up to 25 millimeters. It includes rear-axle steering with up to 4.5 degrees of movement and an optional 10-degree turn, reducing the turning circle to 11.0 meters.
In addition to the standard driving modes—ECO, SPORT, OFFROAD, and INDIVIDUAL—the SUV offers the exclusive MAYBACH driving program, prioritising rear passenger comfort by minimizing body movements and oscillations. This mode is the standard setting, enhancing overall ride quality.
Specifications
The key technical data of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV are as follows:
– Dimensions: 5125 mm Length, 2034 mm Width, 1721 mm Height
– WLTP Range: Up to 611 km
– Rated Output: 484 kW
– Rated Torque: 950 Nm
– Acceleration: 0 – 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds
– Top Speed: 210 km/h
– DC charging time at fast charging stations: 10-80% in 31 mins (200 kWh); 300 km range in 20 mins.
