[Taboleo] Mercedes-Benz Electric SUV 'King'... Luxurious Ride Stands Out

Test Drive of EQS 450 4MATIC SUV
Spacious Interior and Luxurious Ride Stand Out
Regenerative Braking Strength Adjustment and Unofficial 600km Driving Range Are Advantages
Rolling and Unstable Wireless Phone Connection Are Drawbacks

What comes to mind when you see a Mercedes-Benz S-Class? A car for special people like CEOs. A car that moves so smoothly you don’t even notice the motion when sitting in the back seat. These are probably the thoughts you have. The Mercedes-Benz GLS is similar. It is a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that offers an experience akin to the S-Class sedan. At the same time, it can handle off-road driving and makes loading cargo convenient. However, although these cars may have less body vibration or movement, they can be somewhat noisy due to their internal combustion engines. This is especially true if you buy a diesel model. But if it’s an electric vehicle, it might be even better than the S-Class or GLS. Because there is no engine, it is quiet. What if it also offers a luxurious ride? That’s exactly the car I drove: the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV.

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV [Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

The Mercedes-Benz EQ series (electric vehicles) even surpassed the iconic electric car ‘Tesla’ in the first half of this year. According to data from the Korea Imported Automobile Association, Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles sold 4,039 units in the first half of the year. Competitor BMW sold 2,989 units. Tesla’s sales were 3,733 units (according to Kaizyu Data Research Institute). Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles were the best-selling imported electric cars.

-What are the advantages of this car?

The EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is the largest among Mercedes-Benz’s electric SUV lineup. The test vehicle was a 5-seater, but there is also a model that can accommodate up to 7 passengers (EQS 580 4MATIC SUV). It shares the same wheelbase (3210 mm) as the similarly sized EQS sedan, but its height is over 20 cm taller. The C-pillar (the pillar located diagonally at the rear seat connecting the body and roof) is positioned further back than in other cars, providing more headroom. It also features a panoramic sunroof for an open feeling. When the reporter, who is not very tall, sat inside, there was about a fist’s width of space above the head and nearly two fists’ worth of space at the knees. According to specifications, the second-row legroom can be adjusted from 830 mm up to 960 mm. The trunk space can also be expanded up to 2100 liters. Mercedes-Benz explains that it can easily fit four golf bags.

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV Interior [Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

The ride comfort was also very smooth. This car is equipped with Mercedes-Benz’s proud Airmatic air suspension. Additionally, the adaptive damping system individually controls each wheel according to driving mode, speed, and load. The test drive took place in the Gogi-dong area of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where there is a road with eight speed bumps over a 2 km stretch. The height and steepness of these speed bumps are much greater than those on typical roads. While passing this road, a local resident who rode along said, “I have driven the GV80 and BMW X1, but the EQS SUV has the best ride comfort.” It felt like passing over the speed bumps cushioned by air, so the body did not shake and it was comfortable.

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV Rear Seat
[Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV Trunk
[Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

Another advantage is the ability to adjust the regenerative braking strength. This car has three levels of regenerative braking modes. The strongest regenerative braking is D-, a mild regenerative braking mode is D, and D+ has almost no regenerative braking. After getting used to the regenerative braking feel, I set it to D- when driving alone to maximize energy efficiency. When an experienced electric vehicle user was riding along, I set it to D, and when a first-time electric vehicle user was onboard, I set it to D+. When driving in D+ mode, even first-time electric vehicle users hardly noticed the typical electric car ‘jerkiness’.

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV Driver's Seat
[Photo by Mercedes-Benz Korea]

The energy efficiency was excellent. The battery capacity of this car is 107.1 kWh. This is even larger than the large electric sedan BMW i7 (105.7 kWh). When I first received the car, the battery charge was at 95%, and the maximum driving range was 600 km. The domestic certification standard states a maximum driving range of 459 km on a single charge, but it seems possible to drive farther. After driving 110 km (a 50:50 mix of arterial roads and city streets), the indicated range was 469 km. Although there was a 21 km discrepancy, it is clear that this vehicle can travel a long distance compared to existing electric cars. The official energy efficiency is 3.5 to 3.6 km per kWh, but I achieved 4.71 km per kWh.

When driving the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV for 110 km, the remaining battery capacity was 74%. The driving range was 469 km. When the vehicle was first received, the driving range was 600 km, and the battery capacity was 95%.
[Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@]

-Were there any drawbacks?

It rained continuously during the two days of the test drive. On wet surfaces in underground parking lots, the tires slipped slightly, and I heard sounds suggesting the ABS (a special brake system developed to prevent wheel lock during sudden braking) was activating. There were also occasional rolling (tilting when turning on a sloped road) occurrences during sharp turns on public roads. This seemed to be due to the heavy curb weight, close to 3 tons (2850 kg).

The wireless Android Auto connection was also somewhat disappointing. About once every 2 to 3 hours, the music would cut out or the Burmester surround sound system would suddenly turn off and then recover.