Mercedes EQS 580 4MATIC ELECTRIC Road-Test Review – Pride, Essence & Uber Class!

India’s Number One Premium car maker Mercedes-Benz is in total onslaught mode, launching new car models after another non-stop. After the Mercedes Maybach EQS 680 the German car maker is back this time with the EQS 580 4MATIC SUV that is now launched in India. We head to vibrant royal city of Hyderabad to get our hands on the latest all electric German in town for this detailed road-test review loaded till the brim, we find out if this is the Best Premium Electric SUV that your money can get.

 

Food for Thought

Mercedes EQS 580 SUV first went in production in 2022. Code named as the X296 the all electric SUV has been produced at the Mercedes facility in Tuscaloosa in Alabama United States. India now becomes the only country except the US to manufacture the EQS SUV in Chakan Pune.

The EQS SUV is built on the EVA platform and is offered in 3 versions overseas as the EQS 580, EQS 450+ and the EQS 450 4MATIC.  India gets the top of the line EQS580 variant. The Maybach EQS680 is also based on the same platform using a few underpinnings but has lots of more to offer being its ultra luxury variant.

Exteriors

Yes there are a lot of similarities between the Mercedes EQS 580 SUV and the Maybach EQS680 in terms of design and basic silhouette. The EQS 580 stands at 5125mm in length, 1959mm wide and has a height of 1718mm with a wheelbase of 3210mm giving it a very commanding road presence.

In terms of looks the EQS SUV comes with the trademark EQS family face with a glossy black closed grille with multiple Mercedes three point star on it along with a large Mercedes logo in the middle. Key highlights include the connecting LED DRL that runs across the width, intelligent LED headlamps with flushed design, AMG bumper with glossy black inserts and chrome line along with faux skid plates in place. The bonnet gets smooth flowing lines that give it a premium look that it rightly deserves.

The side profile is extra long and very aerodynamic body lines that define it. The glass area gets a defining chrome beltline that looks classy along with EQS badging on the front quarter glass position. Roofline gets a neat aerodynamic slope while the doors get auto retracting door handles with illumination and chrome lining on them.

Wheel arches come with glossy black inserts that kind of define them. The SUV also gets practical step-board finished in all metal that add to the rugged looks of the SUV. You get R21 size tyres on multi spoke alloys that are EV specific while the roof comes with all glass finish with dual pane sun roof and is blacked out.

The rear profile on the EQS is as rounded as the front and sides, you get connected LED lights that run across the width of the SUV along with a large blacked out spoiler that also is aerodynamic. EQS 580 and 4MATIC badging giv the electric boot lid some chrome touch along with the Mercedes Star logo that also works as the boot lid opener and hides the reverse cam inside it. The rear bumper like the front comes with the AMG apron styling with glossy black inserts and chrome finishers along with infused faux skid plates that complete the SUV look for the EQS 580.

Interiors

In terms of interiors the Mercedes EQS 580 SUV gets all the bells and whistles that you expect from this class and caliber. You get a 56 inch Hyperscreen that consists of three Full HD OLED screens one 12.3 inch for the passenger, 17.7inch AVN screen and lastly 12.3 inch driver’s display. All the three screens coming together seamlessly make this the largest combined display in any car. The latest generation MBUX powers the displays which harmoniously read out the tell tale in Mercedes fashion.

Needless to say the AVN system gets full connectivity options for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, Voice commands, GPS Navigation etc. This screen also doubles up as the display for the 360 degree camera which we think is the best ever that we experienced. The dash gets premium tan leather wrapping on the top with hand stitching and soft finish while the lower dash comes in light beige shade and oozes premium finish. AC vents get typical Mercedes turbine design with a dash of ambient lighting on it. Three spoke steering gets premium Nappa Leather wrapping and also gets full electric adjust for reach and height.

Paddle shifters here work for brake re-gen levels with all the MFD buttons in place which are of touch capacitive type. Center console gets a slider that is finished in premium wood while inside here you get the wireless mobile charge dock, USB charge ports, can holders and some storage space. The command module for the preset dynamic drive modes, 360 degree camera, Start/Stop, audio control and biometric sensor is placed just ahead of the armrest, this opens in typical Mercedes style offering storage space underneath.

There also is added storage area under the center console where you can place even a laptop or an iPad securely. Seats get leather upholstery and get full electric adjust. They also get heating and cooling function along with a unique massage function which we loved the most. You also get cute head pillows on the seats that add to the comfort. Front seats offer some super comfort and support along with my most loved feature the Hot Stone back massage feature.

Middle row seats come with electric adjust for reach and back incline too and also get a folding arm rest that has a 7.3 inch tablet in it to control the MBUX functions. The arm rest also houses a wireless charging dock. The rear passengers also get two 11.6 inch entertainment screens along with wireless headphones to go with it. Speaking of entertainment the EQS 580 comes with 15-speaker Burmester 3d surround sound system that has 710 watts with 360 degree Dolby Atmos sound experience.

Middle row seats offer excellent comfort and support along with perfect electric adjust to recline further if needed. If this is not enough you also get a 5-zone climate control four for the front two seating rows and one for the third row. Coming to the third row entering here you need to electrically fold down the middle row seats using the seat fold button that gives you access.

Entering the third row seats is not difficult as in other 3-row cars and once in you can fold up the middle row again electrically. Here you get decent knee and head room while the seats also offer good padding. You also get mobile charging ports, AC vents, arm rest and two head rests all enhancing the comfort here.

If you are not carrying 7 passengers you can fold down the third row electrically offering 610 liters of storage space which can be further enhanced to a mammoth 2020 liters by folding both third and middle row. Not forgetting the boot lid is fully electrically openable and also can be opened using the kick gesture for a hands free operation.

Battery – Drive – Range

Powering the Mercedes EQS 580 4MATIC is a 122kWh battery pack that powers the two motors which generate 536bhp of power and 858Nm of torque which can make the SUV propel from 0 to 100kmph in just 4.7 seconds. The ARAI drive range is 809kms while you can expect an overall drive range of close to 640kms on a single charge making this the longest drive range Electric SUV.

The EQS SUV 580 4MATIC can be charged from 10% to 80% in just 31 minutes when using a 200kW fast charging station while it takes 6.5 hours using the Mercedes charger that’s included in the kit.

How is the EQS SUV to drive?

Well the EQS 580 SUV comes with an all wheel drive system as its got two motors powering the front and rear wheels making it a $MATIC. Power delivery is intense and mind-blowing. You get 4 drive modes to play with – Eco, Normal, Sports and Individual and all the drive modes feel very different and have different benefits. In the sport mode the EQS takes off like an aircraft hitting speeds past 100kmph in matter of seconds but the USP here is that you don’t feel you doing high speeds nor do you feel scared or tense. The cabin feels super silent and super refined at the high speeds.

During city drives too the EQS is very maneuverable thanks to the 4-Wheel Steering that also turns the rear wheels the opposite direction helping make the turning radius shorter and driving very easy in city or tight conditions. Brake re-gen is in 3 levels and also comes with a Auto mode that senses the drive conditions for the regen. If you know what Mercedes cars are you will surely fall in love with the EQS 580 in terms of the overall drive feel and overall cabin comfort.

The EQS 580 also gets a dedicated off-road screen where you can check all the vitals like the angle, altitude, pitch, steering angle, tyre pressure, tyre temperature etc in live time. You also get the unique magic bonnet feature where the bonnet becomes invisible on the screen and you can see what is underneath the car while driving, very useful during tricky off road conditions. You can also raise the car by 24mm using the air suspension but below 70kmph after which the car lowers itself to aid aerodynamics.

Safety

In terms of safety the Mercedes EQS580comes with ADAS Safety suite which includes Lane Keep Assist, Automatic Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring to name a few apart from ABS with EBD, 360 degree camera,  9 airbags and lots more.

Verdict

Mercedes EQS 580 4MATIC is for you if you want a luxury premium electric SUV that has all the traits of an Mercedes plus offers a long drive range and unmatched safety. Yes you also have a lot of similarities with the Maybach 680 which you can be happy about too. This car makes for a perfect Luxury Premium Electric SUV that can take you places in style and also excite you with its unending luxury.