The 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV has 649 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
Since producing the W1 in 1919, Maybach has created some of Germany’s most luxurious vehicles. Formerly a standalone brand before joining the Mercedes family eight years ago, Mercedes-Maybach recently launched its first all-electric series model with the EQS 680 SUV. While it resembles the regular EQS from the outside, the special part about this vehicle, which starts at $238,500, is the exclusive lounge-like experience in the back seat. Special packages push the price to almost $300,000, plus the luxury tax of about $30,000 (about the price of a new Honda Civic).
Based on the Mercedes-Benz dual-motor all-wheel-drive EQS SUV, performance in the Maybach has been upgraded to 649 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque (the EQS 580 produces 536 horsepower and 633 lb-ft of torque), the exterior given an elegant makeover and the interior turned into an opulent sanctuary.
“We put in [the back] what we call a cocooning effect,” said project lead Timo Hartsock during an event on Vancouver Island, referring to the fixed luggage compartment shelf that shields occupants from whatever is rattling around in the cargo area. “This is creating a very cool effect from a noise perspective because the [cargo] space is much smaller,” he added, similar to a sedan.
The reclining rear seats on the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
The back seats each have an 11.6-inch screens.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
Being a Maybach, the partition isn’t plain, either. Covered in MB-Tex artificial leather, it houses two of the Burmester 4-D Surround Sound System’s speakers. The only downside? The bulkhead reduces storage capacity to 440 litres, exactly half that of the regular EQS.
Working together with special acoustic foams throughout the body, laminated glass and wind deflectors on the panoramic roof, the ride in the back seat is nearly silent – even while the driver was winding along a gravel road between Nanaimo, B.C., and Tofino. In addition, a new Disconnect Unit is capable of decoupling the front axle electric motor at cruising speeds, further contributing to the quite ride.
The natural-wood-decorated centre console separating the two reclining executive chairs.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
An available First-Class package extends the natural-wood-decorated centre console, separating the two reclining executive chairs. A hidden projector shines a Maybach logo onto the floor.
Each rear seat includes ventilation, upper body and calf massage, and neck and shoulder heating. Fancy a glass of bubbly on-the-go? Folding tray table ($140), a refrigerator and silver-plated champagne flutes ($1,269 each) are optional.
Our test vehicle also had the Executive Rear Seat Package Plus. As soon as the right rear passenger reclines, the leg rest extends and the seat ahead slides forward to allow a more stretched-out position, though taller, longer-legged individuals may find their feet up against the wooden trim behind the front seat backs.
Folding tray tables, a refrigerator and silver-plated champagne flutes are optional.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
A Power Nap mode takes things one step further and, at the touch of a button, closes the sunroof shade, dims the 64-colour ambient lighting and plays relaxing nature sounds. A pillar coat hook keeps garments wrinkle-free.
Just sinking into the Espresso Brown/Sable Brown Pearl quilted Nappa leather upholstery is enough to promote heavy eyelids. Or, choose your own palette from the customization program. For the first time, the leather is vegetable-tanned using coffee bean shells and other sustainable components. In a similar vein, the car contains secondary steel, recycled aluminum and Econyl carpeting made with nylon derived from old fishing nets and textile waste.
The partition in the trunk is covered in MB-Tex artificial leather and houses two of the Burmester 4-D Surround Sound System’s speakers.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
The trunk on the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV has half the cargo space as the regular EQS SUV, owning to the fridge and the fixed luggage compartment shelf.Benjamin Yong/The Globe and Mail
Many of the interior settings can be adjusted on either of the 11.6-inch rear-seat screens, such as managing the scent. Every modern Maybach has a signature fragrance curated by in-house specialists. In the 680, the scent is called No. 12 Mood Ebony, combining hints of sandalwood, freesia and cloves. It is an $118 extra.
Some controls are configurable with the removable Samsung tablet docked next to the arm rest. The mobile device acts as a remote and users can download Android apps and bring the unit outside the vehicle to operate as well.
The 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV should be in showrooms by the end of the year, and full pricing and specification details will be available closer to the release.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that the gravel road taken by the reporter wasn’t the main highway from Nanaimo, B.C., to Tofino, but a smaller road that heads that direction.
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