Luxurious Lure

The EQS SUV has a tough job. It has to lure back customers who found the EQS Limousine too impractical

- Joshua Varghese

AFTER LOOKING AT IT for a few minutes, I was convinced that it is tough to call the EQS SUV a sport à utility vehicle (SUV). The aerodynamics that improve the range of this luxury electric car have made its body so streamlined that it looks like a large, slippery hatchback rather than an SUV.

That is not a drawback because all it needs to do is be an EQS limousine on stilts or, maybe, better than that. We lived with it for a few days to find out where exactly it appears on a rich EV buyer's radar.

As an electric S-Class on stilts, the EQS SUV is convincing. It shares a lot of design elements with its sedan counterpart and the slightly smaller EQE.

Like both of those cars, the bonnet cannot be opened by the customer which feels like a waste of some additional storage space. From every angle, the EQS SUV's styling is familiar. Aerodynamics have dictated the shape and design of the exterior but Mercedes have done a remarkable job of fusing them all into a form that is instantly associated with opulence. At just over 5.1 metres long, this is by no means a small vehicle and the 3.2-metre wheelbase appears promising in terms of space for this three-row seven-seater SUV.

After sinking into the luxurious driver seat, one becomes immediately aware of the hyperscreen which is present in all top-of-line Mercedes models these days.