Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV to debut on April 17

The most opulent, luxurious and quite possibly expensive Mercedes-Benz model to date, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, will make its global debut at the 2023 Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition on April 17.

Spied a couple of times throughout its development, the 2023 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV will be the first battery-electric production model offered by Mercedes’ ultra-luxury Maybach sub-brand and has long been promised by its creator to redefine “the luxury SUV of the future”.

Positioned as the battery-electric alternative to the existing Mercedes-Maybach GLS, the EQS 680 SUV will ride on the same dedicated-electric EVA platform as the regular EQS SUV and will be powered by a dual-motor drivetrain good for more than 400kW/858Nm.

The two motors will almost certainly be supported by the existing 107.8kWh lithium-ion battery, which should yield a driving range somewhere around 600km, while charging from 10-80 per cent should only take around half an hour when using a 200kW DC fast-charger, with up to 250km of range being added after just 15 minutes.

All these specs are in line with the standard Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV variants save for the power outputs – that benchmark ha now been set by the EQS 580 SUV.

Expect the first electric Maybach to don some exclusive styling upgrades over the garden-variety versions, while the interior will presumably look like it’s from another planet entirely.

“The Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV sets new standards in the age of electromobility,” said the German car-maker overnight.

“It is based on the technology of the EQS SUV from Mercedes-EQ and combines this with the exclusivity of the Maybach brand to deliver an absolutely top-class electric driving experience.”

Direct rivals for Mercedes-Maybach’s new luxury SUV flagship are few and far between at this early stage given neither Rolls-Royce nor Bentley have released their own ultra-luxury SUV yet (although the four-seat fastback Rolls-Royce Spectre two-door EV is expected to spawn an SUV).

It’s not clear if or when the EQS 580 SUV will be available in our market, with Mercedes-Benz Australia telling carsales it was too early to discuss any local plans given the car hasn’t been revealed yet.

The odds look pretty good though, given the local availability of the Mercedes-Benz EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE, EQS and EQV, and the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 and GLS 600.

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