2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 new car review
A premium new family hauler from one of the world’s biggest car makers pampers drivers and passengers like few other machines on the road.
Luxury
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The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV blends limousine luxury and style with seven-seat family practicality – and gives large families an electric alternative to the GLS.
The biggest and most expensive of the electric SUV range from the three-pointed-star brand also comes loaded with gear and space for the family – at a price.
For now there’s only one model, the EQS450 with dual electric motors. Down the track Mercedes-Benz will add a more sumptuous Maybach variant with lashings of chrome and a lot more luxury.
Even so, the EQS450 – which is priced from about $205,000 drive-away – has plenty of kit, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.8-inch OLED central touchscreen. A 17.7-inch centre screen and 12.3-inch passenger display is part of the $6700 Hyperscreen, one of many options offered.
There’s also a crisp 15-speaker Burmester sound system with Dolby Atmos for next-level surround sound performance. Plus a panoramic glass roof, head-up display, four-zone ventilation and digital headlights with 1.3 million pixels to position light around other road users.
Essentially a stretched version of the recently arrived EQE SUV, the EQS SUV adds 262mm to the length – with an extra 180mm between the front and rear wheels – and is 32mm taller, as well as a whisker wider.
It has a similar swoopy look to the EQE, with an AMG Line design pack outside and three-pointed stars dotted across the futuristic grille.
But the EQS SUV’s drawcard is being able to cart plenty of people, with a third-row seat added.
How much room you’ve got in that third row depends on the generosity of those in the middle row, which like the front seats slides and folds electronically. But you’ll be manually lowering the third row to fold it flat, in turn converting a slender 195-litre load area into something more useful.
A flat floor and spacious cabin work nicely for five people, although it doesn’t feel as spacious as its lengthy exterior may suggest.
Whichever seat you’re in you’ll be pampered with luxury, especially if you option the $11,700 Comfort Pack that adds a rear entertainment system, heating for the second and third row seats and the same plush pillows on the front seats for the rears.
Leather is liberally spread throughout and there’s high quality finishes from the doors to the dashboard, the latter an imposing slab that dominates the front of the cabin.
The centre console between the front occupants houses a deep binnacle and there’s a bag-friendly cavity beneath the main floating unit, a handy addition to the plethora of homes for paraphernalia.
There’s Benz’s modern array of slider dials and touch pads from the steering wheel to the main display; it pays to familiarise yourself with the centre screen and customisable instrument cluster, at which point you can unlock a dizzying array of features.
Under way, the EQS SUV is eerily quiet, helped by double-glazed glass and EV silence. Its indicators are quieter than other Benzes to maintain that cabin tranquillity.
Add plush air suspension and it makes for a serene ride, albeit one infused with some jiggling over small bumps from the low profile 21-inch tyres.
Dual electric motors make a combined 265kW and 800Nm, which is generous, but the porky 2.9-tonne body gives those motors a sizeable task to shift.
It’s claimed to take 6.0 seconds to reach 100km/h, which is acceptable and makes for effortless everyday performance. There’s a useful surge from a standstill although those kilos keep the EV eagerness you may expect from 800Nm in check.
Brakes are responsive and powerful, but there’s an inconsistency to the pedal feel that calls for more concentration to maintain an even rate of deceleration.
The steering is nicely weighted and reassuring, some mild rear-wheel steering (up to 4.5 degrees) tightening the turning radius at city speeds and helping the 5.1-metre-plus EQS tuck into a hairpin.
But the EQS450 SUV is focused on everyday comfort rather than overt sportiness. That’s in part due to the weight that gives it a planted feel but takes the edge of athleticism.
It’s the sort of car that will soak up the kilometres effortlessly and keep you comfy doing it.
Speaking of which, the EQS SUV has a 107.8kWh battery good for 483km of WLTP range.
During our predominantly country road drive the car used about 21kWh per 100km, which is impressive given the bulk of the vehicle.
Charging can be done at up to 11kW with an AC wallbox, leading to a full charge in about 10 hours. Option the 22kW charger ($1800) and that time halves.
Faster DC charging can be done at up to 200kW for a 10-80 per cent charge in as little as 31 minutes.
All of which makes for an electric SUV that ticks the EV boxes without setting any new benchmarks. Instead, the effort has centred on luxury and pampering, two things the EQS does well.
VERDICT 3.5/5
Seven-seat SUV pampers with tech and plush driving comfort, but it’s not as vast inside as its exterior dimensions imply.
MERCEDES-BENZ EQS450 SUV
Price: From about $205,000 drive-away
Warranty/servicing: 5 yrs/unlimited km, $4280 for 5 yrs/125,000km
Safety: 10 airbags, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, 360-degree parking aid, blind spot warning, driver monitor, rear cross traffic alert, Pre-Safe with Side Impulse
Power: Dual electric motors, 265kW/800Nm
Range: 483km
Spare: Repair kit
Boot: 195L (as a 7-seater), up to 880L (as a 5-seater)
Originally published as 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 new car review
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