Mercedes flagship hoves silently into view

By: Graham Courtney - Motoring Correspondent

The race for car firms to produce a range of electric cars continues to gather pace. Ideally, every major manufacturer wants at least one electric car in every section of the market.

And that is precisely what Mercedes is doing with this…the EQS SUV…. because they don’t have a big, l uxury 7-seater.

Until now.

The Mercedes EQS SUV is a proper 7-seater and goes straight in as the flagship of the entire Mercedes range. View it as an electric S-Class, which means it’s loaded to the gunwales with tech.

Merc say the EQS SUV can manage 379 miles on a full charge and the battery can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in a shade over half an hour. Okay, those will be the optimistic figures in perfect conditions, but we’re steadily getting to the point where range and charging times are making electric car ownership a realistic proposition for more people.

Two models are available at launch…a 355bhp EQS SUV 450 or EQS SUV 580 which churns out 536bhp. The lower powered version is quick with a 0-60 time of 6 seconds, while the 536bhp version manages 4.6 seconds. Both have a limited top speed of 130mph. Yes this SUV can cope with the twisty stuff and even some off-roading, (four- wheel drive and four-wheel steering come as standard) but where it really excels is as a long distance cruiser. At a steady 70mph, you glide along in silence. It’s uncannily smooth. The standard air suspension makes for a seriously cushy, well controlled ride. Refinement is staggering.

The seven seats are extremely comfortable. Okay, those in the third row shouldn’t be for your local prop forward, but they’re fine for short journeys or children. Drop the seats into the floor and you have sufficient room for a month’s holiday luggage.

Needless to say that as a flagship model, the EQS SUV comes fully loaded…but so it should because the starting price is £129,170. The hi-tech dashboard is the show-stopper as per the EQS saloon and the quality of everything throughout the cabin is top notch. You can fork out around £8k for the Hyperscreen which stretches across the entire fascia, but to be honest we’d skip it ‘cos the standard system is terrific.

If you are wanting a big 7-seater SUV with excellent off-road ability, a cosseting interior and one of the most refined rides on the market, look no further.