Mercedes-Maybach EQS: unusual proportions, painted “grill” and flattened steering wheel
The flagship SUV of the electric Mercedes EQ range debuted in a luxurious Maybach version and as a concept. The serial crossover will appear next year.
When you look at the first electric Mercedes-Maybach, it's not immediately clear that this is a crossover – in proportions it is more like a hatchback or a squat Japanese minivan, which is, in general, great, because electric vehicles should not imitate the layout of traditional ICE models, like the monumental Mercedes -Maybach GLS. The absence of any indication of “crossover” in the name, that is, the prefixes SUV, X, All-Terrain, or something like that, can also confuse.
Meanwhile, in terms of detailing, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS, on the contrary, too meticulously reproduces the stereotypes of traditional expensive models: half of the front end is occupied by a giant glossy shield that imitates a radiator grill, which an electric car does not need. Among the interesting features are the ornament of the Maybach emblems in the headlight and side window trims, rear-view mirrors moved forward beyond the front doors, 24-inch deep-drawn wheels and a chrome side trim that visually unites the passenger compartment and the trunk (also, by the way, solution specific to minivans).
In the cabin, the designers were held hostage to a high-tech 56-inch full-width Hyperscreen display, the same as the top versions of the Mercedes-Benz EQS liftback and the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan. This panel determines the shape of the air ducts and the elements adjacent to the panel – the “floating” central tunnel is also, in fact, the same for all three of the above-mentioned new products, but only Maybach has a “rose gold” decor. The flattened steering wheel is a feature of the concept, it is unlikely that Daimler will dare to become like Tesla and leave it on a production car, because the German concern has not yet advanced far with unmanned technologies. The four individual seats in the concept look a little too sculptural, but on a production car they're sure to look more traditional.
The manufacturer practically did not say anything about the technical stuffing of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS: it is only known that the crossover is based on the same EVA electromobility architecture that the EQS liftback and the EQE sedan have, and the range on a single charge will be 600 km.
The concept will turn into a production model next year, but first the regular EQS crossover, without the Maybach prefix, will enter the market, and only then a luxury version will appear (when exactly is unknown). The flagship electric SUV will be produced at the American Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and the slightly more compact and affordable EQE crossover, which has not yet been presented, will also be registered here.
