Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV Review 2025

Like many of the established upmarket brands, Mercedes is juggling the needs of its traditional, large SUV customers who want familiar products with combustion engines, while also looking to snare new buyers with its growing range of unusually styled electric models. It’s an example of the latter under scrutiny here in our full Mercedes EQS SUV review.

Although Mercedes labels the EQS an SUV, it has more of the amorphous look about it that’s typically associated with MPVs — an impression reinforced by most versions having seven seats as standard. It certainly looks far less rugged and upright than the petrol- and diesel-swilling Mercedes GLS alternative.

Being based on the same underpinnings as the Mercedes EQS Saloon means this electric SUV has a long wheelbase for good interior space, while the taller bodywork means better headroom than the Saloon in the first two rows of seats. The SUV version’s smooth surfaces hint that it’s been squeezed out of a tube, but they allow the Mercedes to cleave the air efficiently for improved driving range.

With its third-row seats the EQS SUV has a distinct advantage over the five-seat-only BMW iX, while those perched on the rearmost bench of the left-hand drive-only Tesla Model X will crave the Mercedes’ extra headroom back there.

Other alternatives make a far better fist of things when it comes to accommodating seven comfortably within an electric SUV body with a significant cost-saving over the Mercedes. There’s a similar level of opulence provided by the Volvo EX90, while the Kia EV9 is undoubtedly less plush but is also around half of the EQS SUV’s price.

Not all versions of the EQS SUV have seven seats, though — the most expensive model, costing in excess of £200,000 has just four. The pair in the middle row of the appropriately named Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV First Class are luxurious, aircraft-style recliners.

The Mercedes EQS SUV is available with three power options, all twin-motor arrangements for four-wheel drive. The EQS 450 produces 360PS while the EQS 580 serves-up 544PS, both sharing a 118kWh battery for a WLTP Combined cycle driving range of 399-400 miles depending on trim level. A rapid DC recharge at 200kW can replenish the battery from 10-80% in 31 minutes.

Exclusively powering the Mercedes-Maybach version is the EQS 680 with a colossal 658PS of power. Inevitably, this takes its toll on the available driving range as here the same 118kWh batter is rated at 374 miles.

Aside from the Maybach-specific First Class specification, the less expensive EQS SUV range is available in two guises — AMG Line Premium Plus and Business Class. All versions are comprehensively appointed with a battery heat pump, 21-inch alloy wheels and the triple display Hyperscreen dashboard layout.

Driving the EQS SUV confirms it fits with Mercedes’ luxury car brief. Quick, certainly, but the emphasis is on high levels of comfort, with little noise and a smooth ride. Standard four-wheel steering additionally makes the EQS feel surprisingly manoeuvrable for such a large car.

Because of its price, the Mercedes EQS SUV is aimed at a relatively small audience, but the manner in which it delivers on comfort, space and luxury will be particularly satisfying for those potential customers.

Mercedes EQS SUV: Range

It’s easy to feel a little intimidated by the size and bulk of the Mercedes EQS SUV — even the lightest version weighs over three tonnes and measures 5125mm bumper-to-bumper.

However, it doesn’t take long behind the wheel to realise that the EQS SUV manages to shrink around you, helped by the generously sized windows that give a good view out, the impressive safety systems and the four-wheel steering which makes it a doddle to pilot, despite its size.

The EQS SUV’s trump card is ride comfort, with air suspension and adaptive damping as standard, allowing the driver to tailor the car for the conditions and provide an impressive amount of isolation from poor road surfaces. Its steering is quick and accurate, although there’s not a huge amount of feel through the wheel, it’s easy to place it consistently, even through tight, twisty curves.

The four-wheel steering comes into its own during low-speed manoeuvres, turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts, making it surprisingly easy to fit into parking spaces.

There are two power options for the core Mercedes EQS SUV range, with a third choice exclusively found in the range-topping Mercedes-Maybach version. All feature an electric motor front and rear to provide 4Matic all-wheel drive, a single-speed automatic transmission, are electronically governed to a 130mph top speed and are fitted with a 118kWh battery pack.

Starting point power-wise is the EQS 450 which produces a useful 360PS and 800Nm of torque. The absence of gearchanges means seamless acceleration is almost always available and, despite its size, the EQS 450 can despatch the 0-62mph sprint in 6.2 seconds. Performance-wise this will be more than sufficient for most buyers but inevitably in the luxury car world few buyers want to be seen in the version with the least.

Useful then, that the EQS 580 SUV does take the performance to another level, with 544PS and an extra 58Nm of torque, trimming the 0-62mph time down to 4.8 seconds. This extra performance comes at a price, with the 580 model costing an additional £10,000 over the 450 regardless of the trim level. If the price is no issue, then the extra power is welcome.

Talking of price, the step from the EQS 580 to the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV is approaching £50,000. That additional outlay buys you 658PS of power and a barely comprehendible 955Nm — for context that’s sufficient to propel this 3.2-tonne car from a standstill to 62mph in 4.4 seconds.

Euro NCAP hasn’t assessed and crash-tested the Mercedes EQS SUV but as it is closely based on the EQS Saloon, it’s likely that it would achieve similar results. That model scored the full five stars when it was tested in 2021, with 96% for adult occupant protection, 91% for child occupant protection, 76% for vulnerable road user mitigation and 80% for safety assist.

As is typical for high-end Mercedes models, the EQS SUV has a high standard specification in terms of safety systems which is reassuring and reduces strain on the driver.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV has a braked towing capacity of 1800kg, which is useful but not exceptional.

Thanks to its tall body, the Mercedes EQS SUV offers more interior space than the EQS Saloon, including room for a third row of seats for all barring the range-topping Mercedes-Maybach version which has just four. For those in the front especially, head, leg and elbow room are all generous, and even the standard seats offer a high degree of adjustability for excellent comfort.

In the second row the space is also impressive, although headroom is not quite as generous as in the front, yet even adults of above average height should still have more than enough room. There’s also the third row of seats which can accommodate a pair of adults, but they’re unlikely to appreciate being sat their for anything other than short journeys.

Boot space in seven-seater versions of the EQS SUV is quoted at just 195 litres when all seven seats are in use, but folding the third row chairs into the floor expands that capacity to 565 litres when loaded to the window-line. If you’re brave enough to fold all five rear seats down for a flat, van-like loadspace, you’ll have 2020 litres of volume at your disposal.

Differing in its interior layout is the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. Its First Class specification means a pair of individual middle-row seats rather than a bench and no further seats beyond it, making it a strict four-seater. They’re electrically adjustable recliners, complete with cushions and a centre console between them complete with storage areas and a touchscreen for adjusting various functions to maximise comfort.

Due to the way those rear seats recline, they can’t be folded over, limiting the Maybach EQS SUV’s boot capacity to 440 litres up to the height of the luggage cover.

For the most part the interior of the Mercedes EQS SUV is finished to a high standard, with the use of wood, nappa leather and smart metallic finishes extending through the cabin. The Business Class specification models feature ship’s deck, open-pore walnut which looks and feels particularly smart.

All the controls operate with a smoothness and solidity which boosts the feeling of quality, although there are some cheaper plastics dotted around which takes something away from what otherwise would be an exceptionally luxurious cabin.

All versions of the Mercedes EQS SUV are fitted with the MBUX Hyperscreen dashboard arrangement. For people into technology, it’ll impress, but for those who don’t feel like an enormous glossy panel reflects craftsmanship and luxury, it may disappoint.

The MBUX Hyperscreen setup consists of a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, 17.7-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch front passenger display, all housed behind a single piece of glass. The system also includes a head up display, smartphone integration, DAB radio and even separate profiles for the driver and passenger so they can view different information on their respective displays.

It’s certainly a visually comprehensive system with a sharp displays and clear graphics, although anyone who is a little wary of big screen infotainment systems might find it intimidating. However, the menus are relatively easy to navigate and it doesn’t take long to become familiar with how it all works.

One particular downside is an absence of physical adjustments for functions such as the climate control, so you need to navigate through the menus or use voice activation to make changes.

Prices start at £129,420 for the Mercedes EQS 450 4Matic SUV AMG Line Premium Plus. Switching to the more powerful EQS 580 adds exactly £10,000 to the total.There’s a greater level of luxury available within the Mercedes EQS 450 4Matic SUV Business Class, reflected in its £143,745 price tag. Again, the 580 version costs an additional £10,000.

Crowning the range is the four-seater Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV First Class which weighs in at £200,810.

Of the EQS SUV’s key rivals, the five-seater-only BMW iX ranges from £75,305 to £114,205, while the seven-passenger Volvo EX90 is £96,255 to £99,950 — both significantly less costly.

Even cheaper, but not really holding a candle to the Mercedes in terms of interior finish or performance but trumping it for space is the Kia EV9 — £65,025 gets you into the cheapest, with the range-topping six-seater priced at £77,025.

With such a high price tag used examples are relatively thin on the ground, but we found a few for sale. The cheapest example was a 2024 450 AMG Line with just over 2,000 miles for £85,000 — a huge saving of £45,000 over list price.

Running costs will be a mixed bag for the Mercedes EQS SUV. Although charging can be inexpensive, it’s still a Mercedes so servicing and parts via a franchised retailer won’t be inexpensive. Similarly replacement tyres for those enormous 21-inch alloy wheels will be costly, particularly if you chew through them quickly by extracting its generous performance.

As of April 2025 electric cars will be liable not only for an annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED or road tax) cost at the same rate as combustion-engined models, they’ll also be subjected to the premium car tax payable during years two through to five.

For CEOs electric luxury cars such as the Mercedes EQS SUV continue to make sense — the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) liability for 2025/26 is just 3% across the range.

Mercedes EQS SUV: Driving range and charging

Although there are five different versions of the Mercedes EQS SUV on sale, the WLTP Combined cycle driving range between them isn’t vast. Both AMG Line Premium Plus models are quoted at 400 miles, with the two Business Class versions just behind at 399 miles.

The least energy efficient is the Mercedes-Maybach version with its 374-mile range under WLTP Combined cycle conditions.

All EQS SUVs have the same 118kWh battery pack — its large size helps deliver those long ranges, but it also requires a long time to charge. Using a typical domestic wallbox with a 7.4kW AC connection will take around 18 hours and 30 minutes from flat to full.

Thanks to a 200kW on-board charger, zapping the EQS SUV from 10-80% using a DC ultra-rapid public chargepoint will take in the region of 31 minutes.

There are essentially three trim levels available across the range. Seven-seater Mercedes EQS SUVs are available in AMG Line Premium Plus and Business Class specifications, while the luxurious, four-passenger Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is solely available in First Class guise.

Among the standard fittings for the Mercedes EQS SUV AMG Line Premium Plus are a battery heat pump, air suspension, four-wheel steering, an acoustic comfort package, LED head and tail lights, a panoramic roof, 21-inch alloy wheels, LED ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, heated seats in all three rows, a heated steering wheel, nappa leather, the MBUX Hyperscreen dashboard, the Driving Assistance Package and a wireless smartphone charging pad.

Upgrading to the Mercedes EQS SUV Business Class adds the Electric Art interior design package, front seat luxury head restraints, massaging front seats with an additional heating pack, the rear seat comfort package, open-pore walnut wood trim, the rear seat entertainment, a TV receiver and wireless smartphone charging in the rear.

Equipment for the plushest Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV First Class includes a model-specific grille design with the Mercedes mascot logo mounted on the bonnet, electrically adjustable front and rear seats with massage, heating and ventilation functions, the MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment System complete with tablet control panel, Exclusive nappa leather and Mercedes’ Manufaktur high gloss piano lacquer wood trim.