Million-dollar buttery smooth Maybach SUV

The EQS680 SUV is Mercedes-Benz's luxury arm's first electric car

- Lee Nian Tjoe

Time is one of life's greatest luxuries.

Maybach, the grandest member of the Mercedes-Benz brand, certainly did not rush to roll out its first electric model, the EQS SUV.

The million-dollar electric sport utility vehicle was unveiled globally in April 2023 and took another 18 months to arrive in Singapore.

It is the German carmaker's luxury arm and the EQS680 SUV is the entry point to the brand, costing a cool $1.1 million.

The top-of-the-range model is the S680. Priced at nearly $1.5 million, it has a 6-litre V12 engine and is based on the S-class limousine.

Mercedes is doubling down on Maybach. Convinced there is demand for cars beyond the conventional Mercedes-Benz badge, the carmaker is creating even more special million-dollar versions of select models, badging them as "Maybach".

The range in Singapore is set to expand in the coming months with the launch of the SL convertible.

With the Maybach EQS SUV, the company is making the large electric SUV into something of a limousine. This involves some styling tweaks, performance upgrades and fine-tuning to make it more capable, resulting in a near-$500,000 premium over the non-Maybach EQS SUV.

Some $111,600 in the Maybach EQS SUV's asking price comes from the two-tone paint. It is an interesting feature, with the two halves of the body painted in contrasting colours. Jet black is paired with a deep brown, for instance. A dark blue matched with metallic silver looks particularly fetching.

The fully white test car has the Night Series package, which includes dark chrome and rose-gold elements on the body, a special wheel design and wood inlays for the cabin. This option is not on the price list now, but it was listed as a $154,000 premium in October 2024.

The Maybach EQS SUV has seating for four instead of seven - unlike the non-Maybach version - which is crucial in transforming the EQS SUV into a limousine to shuttle passengers in supreme comfort.