Now in South Africa: The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV

For just over a century, Maybach has meticulously handcrafted objects of desire which have led to this moment where Mercedes-Benz South Africa welcomes the arrival of a new benchmark in the all-electric luxury space — the EQS 680 SUV Mercedes-Maybach.

According to the latest press release from Mercedes-Benz South Africa (from which the above intro is extracted), the Maybach EQS sets a new benchmark in the all-electric top-end luxury SUV segment. The South African market has been allocated a limited number of this exclusive vehicle, meaning that I will not be test driving one any time soon. If their press fleet do, eventually, get allocated an EQS, there’s a pecking order on who gets to review the vehicle. And the pecking order is based on readership.

So, if you want to read a first-hand review, please do like/follow/share my Medium channel.

In the interim, here’s a few of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV’s salient features.

The Exterior Design

Let’s start with the front end, which features the brand-typical black panel with vertical, chrome-plated trim strips to provide a three-dimensional depth look. The large black panel is smooth closed for the first time. The high-tech element for the radar sensors is now fully integrated and no longer visible. This is made possible by using the material indium, which is permeable to radar beams, in the entire panel area. The wafer-thin, shiny silver material is covered with a black lacquer finish, which creates a unique high-gloss black appearance with an extraordinary depth effect.

Chrome-plated, filigree slats can be found on the air intake of the bumper. The classic MAYBACH lettering is discreetly incorporated into a chrome-plated decorative strip, which forms a unit with the continuous light strip of the standard DIGITAL LIGHT headlights. The Maybach pattern with several small brand emblems can also be found in trim parts of the side bumper. DIGITAL LIGHT welcomes and says goodbye to the driver with a special light show.

When viewed from the side, the pronounced wheel arches with claddings in high-gloss black emphasise the SUV’s power and emotional presence. Appropriately, the EQS rolls on exclusive 21 or 22-inch alloy and forged wheels. The MAYBACH lettering is integrated with the Mercedes-Benz emblem on the exquisitely designed wheel hub caps.

At the rear, the rear lights underline the exclusive character as a continuous light strip with a two-part helix. The lights are animated across the entire width. There are also chrome trim elements on the tailgate, on the rear apron and the spoiler lip, as well as the MAYBACH lettering.

Automatic Doors

Another exclusive feature are the automatic doors at the front and rear. If the driver approaches the vehicle from the side, the recessed door handles extend from a distance of around six metres. The driver’s door opens automatically when the driver approaches the vehicle at a distance of about 1.5 metres and closes automatically as soon as the brake pedal is depressed.

When the doors are opened, the EQS SUV welcomes its passengers with a Maybach emblem that is projected onto the ground next to the vehicle via the exterior mirrors.

The Interior Design

In the front, the central display starts with the familiar home screen and the so-called “zero layer”. In this basic setting, the navigation map dominates. The driver can carry out 80 percent of the most common interactions directly without changing the application. The system reacts situationally and is personalised with intelligent suggestions and forward-looking offers.

In the rear, passengers experience the same extensive range of infotainment and comfort features with two 11.6-inch displays on the backrests of the front seats. With the standard MBUX High-End Rear Seat Entertainment, content can be shared quickly and easily on the various displays. It is also possible to select and modify the navigation destinations from the rear seats. The standard equipment also includes the MBUX rear tablet, which can also be used outside the vehicle, and the MBUX Interior Assist.

Like the front seats, the standard Executive rear seats are equipped with ventilation, massage function and neck and shoulder heating. There is also a calf massage and the Chauffeur Package. As soon as the right rear passenger chooses the reclining position, the front passenger seat automatically moves forward to the chauffeur position. The massage programmes are also available as part of ENERGIZING COMFORT.

Sustainability

Several sustainable material innovations have been incorporated into the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV. This is the first model from Mercedes-Benz AG to be fitted with vegetable-tanned leather. Among others, coffee bean shells are used as tanning agents. The water used for tanning is conducted in a closed circuit and flows back into natural bodies of water after recycling. The fat liquoring agents used in tanning are also exclusively plant-based. The sustainably processed leather is not preserved with salt. This saves around 45 kilograms of salt per vehicle with leather seats. New upcycling products such as compostable flowerpots, insulating foams or decking boards are created from the “by-products” of tanning. The sustainably processed leather is therefore resource-saving. The coffee farmers also benefit as they receive a second income from selling the coffee bean shells.

Mercedes-Benz has defined binding criteria for sustainably processed real leather. An important procurement requirement for suppliers is that the leather supply chain must be free from any form of illegal deforestation. The grazing areas must not contribute to the endangerment or loss of natural forests. In this context, the partners must disclose their entire supply chain from the farm region to the end product. The leather skins may only come from animals that are kept in a species-appropriate manner. Only vegetable or alternatively sustainable tanning agents that are completely chrome-free may be used for tanning. For the refined leather, Mercedes-Benz requires its partners to carry out an eco-balance across all stages of the value-added process (Life Cycle Assessment).

Another sustainable material example is the interior carpets, which are made with a nylon yarn from recycled materials such as carpets and fishing nets. Secondary steel and recycled aluminium are also utilised. The use of recycled materials is an important measure on the way to decarbonisation. Added to this is the net carbon-neutral production of its battery at the Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama, USA. The aim of Mercedes-Benz is to at least halve CO₂ emissions per passenger car in the new vehicle fleet over the entire life cycle by the end of this decade compared to 2020 levels.

Well, that concludes the PR summary. The South African launch price is still TBC (to be confirmed). As to the performance and technical specs, that will have to wait until I get behind the wheel. In conclusion, I leave you with a statement from Alexandra Boavida, VP Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz South Africa; “Mercedes-Maybach customers expect the extraordinary, and we aim to exceed their high expectations. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV unites our ambition to lead in digital and electric with our focus on the luxury segment. The very first all-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Maybach complements the best technologies from Mercedes-Benz with the extra comfort and individual details that are only available from Mercedes-Maybach,” he says.