Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride in a spaceship from a sci-fi movie? Would the journey be smooth as you travelled through the vacuum of space?
That thought is certainly appealing. Unlike a car that must deal with undulating surfaces, said spacecraft could go from wafting to thrusting its occupants towards the unknown in absolute silence and zero bumps along the way.
Such a fantasy is probably what Mercedes-EQ engineers tried to turn into reality when they made the EQS SUV. It doesn’t resemble a spaceship, but driving it certainly makes you feel you’re aboard one.
STARSHIP EQS
The EQS SUV is essentially the SUV version of the EQS sedan. Though the EQS is longer than the EQS SUV (5,223mm vs 5,125mm), both models have the same wheelbase length of 3,210mm.
And because the EQS SUV is around 200mm taller than the EQS, it has an imposing front end, complete with a large blanked-off grille. But walk around it and the rest of the vehicle isn’t that intimidating. In fact, at 1,718mm tall, it’s lower than expected for a sports utility vehicle.
The rear end gets those striking 3D helix taillights, which are ‘connected’ by an LED strip. Look closer and you’ll see that this element, too, is in 3D. That’s a neat touch.
Boarding this spaceship is made easier by the aluminium running boards, which apart from being illuminated, also have rubber studs for grip. The hip height is just right, too.
If there’s one thing that makes the AMG Line stand out, it’s Mercedes’ gigantic Hyperscreen. Part of the car’s standard kit, it houses two 12.3-inch screens (one of the driver and front passenger) and a 12.8-inch display in the centre.
Because we can’t get enough screens (or screen time) these days, the content shown on the three displays can differ. The front passenger for instance, can act as a navigator and ‘push’ the route guidance towards the centre screen to help the driver.
The real party trick, though, is the Dolby Atmos feature in the 15-speaker Burmester system. Dolby Atmos surrounds you in your favourite tunes in a 360-degree manner instead of just from the sides or below, so that the music envelops you. When the EQS SUV was launched in September this year, it was the first luxury car to have this feature.
I’m neither an audiophile nor a sound engineer, but to my untrained ears, this is probably the most immersive sound system I’ve ever experienced. It’s also distortion-free, so as you crank up the volume, the instruments and vocals sound even more distinct.
The catch, though, is that Dolby Atmos currently only works with Apple Music. And within Apple Music itself, you need to select ‘Spatial Audio’ tracks to get the best listening experience.
Music aside, what makes the EQS SUV so inviting is the cabin itself. The seats are clad in soft leather, while open-pore wood is used to trim the doors and centre console. The wood itself features the Mercedes star motif, which is inlaid in aluminium.
Three adults can comfortably sit in the second-row bench, thanks to the flat floor. Another pair of climate zones, along with dual sunroofs, help make the cabin feel airier still.
It’s a feeling that third-row passengers wish they could have, as accommodations here are rather compact, and they’ll have to ask the second-row folks to move the seats forward to free up more legroom. Or they could do it themselves, but this will oddly cause both the second-row seats and front seats to also move forward!
Though you get full-size seats and headrests and powered adjustment in the law row, ingress and egress remains awkward as the third-row bench is above the rear wheels. Hence, it’s best to consider the EQS SUV as a flexible 5+2 instead of an outright seven-seater.
HYPER-DRIVE
The last pair of seats may not be the best on this ‘spacecraft’, but occupants will nevertheless experience being briskly whisked from one destination to the next by what feels like an unstoppable, invisible force.
Rather than rocket engines, the EQS450 SUV is propelled by two electric motors that draw electrons from a 107.8kWh battery. Producing 355bhp and a mountain-shifting 800Nm of torque, the SUV does the century sprint in six seconds flat.
That timing is scarcely believable given the car’s 2.8-tonne kerb weight. Any heavier and you’ll need a Class 4 Driving Licence to pilot one.
But believe it you will, the moment you put your foot down. With 4Matic all-wheel drive and variable torque distribution, the EQS SUV surges forward with purpose and makes other cars seem like they’re going in reverse.
The scenery goes from sharp to blurry, your organs feel like they need to catch up with your body, and the horizon draws closer at an alarming rate. Adding to the amazement is that the EQS SUV does this so quietly that it feels like you’re being teleported.
The silence of the cabin is something you’ll either love or hate. Those who need the car to make some noise/s as it accelerates or brakes to prevent motion sickness will dislike how quiet it is. But folks who love absolute refinement will enjoy the serenity it offers.
A pillowy-soft ride thanks to the Airmatic air suspension further complements the EQS SUV’s character. It’s so pliant that even with the damping set to Sport, it continues to iron out woolly surfaces and speed bumps alike. It doesn’t feel like it has 21-inch wheels.
Helping the pilot manoeuvre this craft in smaller spaces is the rear-axle steering. At lower speeds, it can turn the rear wheels up to 4.5 degrees in the opposite direction of the front wheels to shrink the car’s turning circle. But at high speeds, the rear wheels follow the direction of the front wheels to enhance stability.
GROUND CONTROL
The EQS SUV impresses on many fronts, but it also has its shortcomings. The last row of seats, for instance, should only be used when needed. Less experienced drivers will find the car’s size and heft to still be a handful. And the whisper-quiet cabin, for all its benefits, will polarise opinions.
Look past these, though, and the pliancy, numerous on-board refinements and the ability to warp you from one point to another make for a compelling package.
Perhaps Mercedes engineers never tried to turn the EQS SUV into a spaceship after all. But it doesn’t change the fact that piloting or riding in it certainly makes you feel like you’re aboard one.
Mercedes-EQ EQS 450 SUV (A)
MOTOR Permanently agitated synchronous motor
MAX POWER 355hp (265kW)
MAX TORQUE 800Nm
BATTERY CAPACITY 107.8kWh
POWER TO WEIGHT 126.6hp per tonne
GEARBOX Single-speed automatic
0-100KM/H 6 seconds
TOP SPEED 210km/h
CONSUMPTION 4.9km/kWh (WLTP combined)
MAX RANGE 610km
PRICE INCL. COE From $594,888
AGENT Cycle & Carriage Industries
