With the luxury saloon EQS and the sporty executive saloon EQE, Mercedes-Benz has entered a new, all-electric era in the upper market segments as well. The EQS SUV, the third model series with this architecture developed for electric vehicles, will soon follow. The SUV offers plenty of space, comfort and connectivity for up to seven passengers in its avant-garde, luxurious interior. Thanks to powerful electric motors, responsive 4MATIC all-wheel drive and an intelligent OFFROAD driving mode, the EQS SUV is also capable of tackling light terrain with ease. The EQS Saloon is the current aerodynamics world champion for production cars. Its purpose design with smooth underbody and usually closed radiator shutter was a good starting point for aerodynamic measures on the EQS SUV. The optimisation of SUV-typical flow details led to a hitherto unique combination of spaciousness and aerodynamic efficiency. The new EQS SUV shares the long wheelbase (3210 millimetres) with the EQS Saloon, but is over 20 centimetres higher. The dimensions in detail: 5125/1959/1718 millimetres (length/width/height). The interior dimensions benefit from these generous SUV dimensions and from the advantages of the purpose design tailored to the electric platform. The second row of seats can be electrically adjusted as standard. Up to four golf bags fit in the boot. A third row of seats with two additional individual seats and extensive comfort features for all passengers is available as an option.
All EQS SUVs have an electric drive train (eATS) on the rear axle, and the versions with 4MATIC also have an eATS on the front axle. In the 4MATIC models, the Torque Shift function ensures intelligent, continuously variable distribution of drive torque between the rear and front electric motors and thus the use of the most efficient eATS in each case. The electric motors on the front and rear axles are permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM). The advantages of this design include high power density, high efficiency and high power constancy. With the EQS SUV, Mercedes-Benz is taking a major step towards zero-emission mobility and is moving a step closer to fulfilling Ambition 2039. The model is produced in a completely CO2-neutral way. The EQS SUV puts real solutions for emission-free mobility, intelligent resource conservation and responsible circular economy on the road. The EQS Saloon was the first model series from Mercedes-Benz in which completely new vehicle functions can be activated in several areas via over-the-air updates (OTA). With the EQS SUV, this offer is significantly expanded. For example, Trailer Manoeuvring Assist or MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) Augmented Reality Navigation can be activated at a later date.
The chassis of the new EQS SUV has a four-link axle at the front and an independent multi-link suspension at the rear. The AIRMATIC air suspension with continuously adjustable damping ADS+ is standard equipment. The vehicle level can be raised by several centimetres. In addition to the DYNAMIC SELECT modes ECO, COMFORT, SPORT and INDIVIDUAL, the 4MATIC versions feature OFFROAD, a further mode for off-road driving. Furthermore, rear-axle steering with a steering angle of up to 4.5 degrees is standard. It provides plenty of manoeuvrability in the city and agility over land. Optionally and also via an OTA update, a version with up to 10 degrees steering angle is available. Mercedes me Charge is one of the largest charging networks worldwide: it currently comprises over 700,000 AC and DC charging points, including around 300,000 are in Europe. Since 2021, Mercedes-Benz has ensured a subsequent offset with green electricity when customers use Mercedes me Charge to charge their cars in Europe. High-quality guarantees of origin ensure that as much green power from renewable energies is fed into the grid as is withdrawn via Mercedes me Charge. The new Mercedes me Charge function Plug & Charge makes charging the EQS SUV at public charging stations that support Plug & Charge convenient. The principles of Integral Safety, in particular accident safety, apply regardless of the platform. Like all other Mercedes-Benz models, the EQS SUV therefore has a rigid passenger cell, special deformation zones and modern restraint systems. The European version of the EQS SUV is the first Mercedes-Benz model to be able to detect whether rear seats are actually occupied.
With a range of up to 660 kilometres (according to WLTP) and an output of up to 400 kW, the EQS SUV also meets the requirements of a luxury SUV in terms of power delivery. All EQS SUVs have an electric drive train (eATS) on the rear axle, and the versions with 4MATIC also have an eATS on the front axle. In the 4MATIC models, the Torque Shift function ensures intelligent, continuously variable distribution of drive torque between the rear and front electric motors. The electric motors on the front and rear axles are permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM). On a PSM, the rotor of the AC motor is fitted with permanent magnets and therefore does not need to be supplied with power. The magnets – and thus the rotor – follow the rotating alternating current field in the stator windings. In the EQS SUV, Mercedes-Benz uses a so-called pull-in winding for a particularly strong magnetic field. The motor is referred to as synchronous because the rotor turns at the same rate as the magnetic field of the stator. The frequency is adjusted in the power electronics inverters to the speed requirements of the driver. The advantages of this design include high power density, high efficiency and high power constancy. The motor on the rear axle is particularly powerful due to its six-phase design: it has two windings with three phases each. The modular drive concept allows a wide range of maximum total outputs from 265 to 400 kW. Depending on the vehicle equipment and configuration, WLTP ranges of up to 660 kilometres1 are possible.
The Torque Shift function ensures a continuously variable torque distribution between the two electric motors of the 4MATIC variants as needed and with optimised efficiency. Depending on the requirements, the torque distribution is regulated:
Energy efficiency: When driving at a constant speed, an optimisation process determines the most efficient all-wheel-drive distribution in each case.
Energy recovery power: Deceleration with the greatest possible energy recovery rate without overtaxing the grip of the wheels and thus endangering driving stability requires an adapted torque distribution.
Traction/acceleration: Here, the operating strategy distributes the drive torques just as ideally between the two axles.
Snow and ice: For maximum traction and driving stability also on snow and ice, the operating strategy detects spinning wheels and adjusts the torque distribution accordingly.
Off-road: In the OFFROAD driving mode, the all-wheel-drive distribution is optimised for unpaved roads, inclines and terrain.
The EQS SUV has a lithium-ion battery with up to 12 cell modules and pouch or hardcase cells. Thanks to the 107.8 kWh capacity, sufficient energy can be provided for ranges of up to 660 kilometres according to WLTP. The innovative battery management software, which was developed in-house, allows updates over the air (OTA). This keeps the energy management of the EQS SUV up-to-date. They also meet the high Mercedes requirements in terms of safety, durability and sustainability. Mercedes-Benz issues a battery certificate for its high-voltage batteries, and thus a performance guarantee to customers: A term of 10 years or 250,000 kilometres with a remaining capacity of 70 percent. Battery development is a decisive factor in Mercedes-Benz’s electrification strategy. After all, the battery is the heart of an electric car and makes a decisive contribution to, among other things, the range and thus the driving characteristics of the electric vehicle. The EQS Saloon marks the launch of a new generation of batteries with significantly higher energy density. The team of experts at the Mercedes-Benz Battery Centre of Competence has developed the high-efficiency batteries entirely in-house. The software for the intelligent management system was also developed and programmed in-house. The battery system for the EQS SUV is based on a modular architecture that is also used in the EQS and EQE Saloons.
