2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 electric SUV unveiled, due in Australia next year

Mercedes-Benz has crowned its EQ electric-car line-up with the ultra-luxury 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 SUV from its upscale Maybach division.

Unveiled on the eve of the 2023 Shanghai motor show in China, it is the first Maybach model to feature an electric drivetrain.

The EQS680 4Matic SUV is also the second SUV to wear the Maybach name, following on from the petrol V8-powered GLS600 launched in 2019.

Based on the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV – alongside which it is produced in Germany – the electric Maybach is positioned well upmarket of its standard sibling with altered exterior styling, more exclusive interior features, higher-quality materials and a roomy four-seat layout claimed to provide rear-seat passengers with limousine-like levels of accommodation, comfort and appointments.

MORE: Read our full 2023 Shanghai motor show coverage

“Mercedes-Maybach customers expect the extraordinary, and we aim to exceed their high expectations," Mercedes-Benz chairman Ola Källenius said in a media statement.

Dual electric motors deliver outputs of 484kW and 950Nm – on par with AMG performance versions of the EQS electric sedan – and about 600 kilometres of claimed driving range.

The new Maybach model is due in Australian showrooms in the third quarter of next year (July to September), pending any delays, after deliveries begin in key markets such as the US, the Middle East and China, during the second half of 2023.

The standard EQS SUV is due in Australia between July and September 2023.

Pricing is expected to extend well beyond that of the GLS600, which retails for $395,500 plus on-road costs in Australia, with estimates putting it close to the $573,192 of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 sedan, with which it shares many of its appointments.

The exterior styling of the Maybach EQS680 4Matic SUV draws heavily on that of the standard Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, but with a number of Maybach design elements.

The most noticeable of these is a new look grille. It features 29 vertical chrome elements within a high -loss black plastic insert, giving the new model a bold front-end appearance further enhanced by additional chrome embellishments and a series of Maybach logos within the outer sections of the front bumper.

In a first for Mercedes-Benz's EQ branded electric models, a three-pointed star emblem sits atop a newly designed bonnet, which features greater contouring than that of other EQS SUV models.

Further back, there is a chromed surround for the side glass and signature chromed B-pillars. The running boards beneath the doors also get Maybach logos, as do the puddle lights within the exterior mirror houses and the C-pillars.

A panoramic glass roof is available as an option.

At the rear, the tailgate receives a new chrome feature element beneath the wiper, together with Maybach badges. There's also a revised lower bumper.

The EQS680 4Matic SUV comes with a choice of uniquely-styled 21- and 22-inch wheels as well as a series of optional two-tone paint schemes.

While providing the new Maybach model with added bling, the stylistic changes do little for its aerodynamics, with a claimed 0.29 drag coefficient compared to the 0.26 of the standard EQS SUV.

It is inside, though, where Mercedes-Maybach has focused even more attention to detail and luxury.

Up front, there are Maybach graphics for the instrument and infotainment displays together with a Maybach-branded steering wheel, chromed pedal covers and a new colour combination for the ambient lighting.

All four seats offer ventilation, heating and massage functions as well as cushioned headrests as standard.

The standard upholstery uses a synthetic leather-look material, though genuine nappa leather is available as an option. Among the different wooden trims made available to buyers are birch and walnut.

The EQS680 4Matic SUV claims to deliver a first-class, ultra-luxurious rear seat experience, with lounge-like qualities to the individual reclining seats, which can be ordered with folding tables and a cooling compartment with silver-plated champagne goblets.

There are also 11.6-inch displays within the backrests of the front seats, as well as a tablet device and up to four USB ports and two HDMI interfaces.

A Burmester 4D surround sound system is available, with Dolby Atmos functionality and 15 speakers – including two mounted within the front seats – together with a facility for headphones for each individual occupant.

The new Maybach model also receives its own unique synthesised driving sound, known as Aerial Grace.

The Maybach luxury touches go as far as a newly-designed luggage cover, which is attached to the upper edge of the rear-seat backrest and is claimed to reduce noise from the boot area.

At a nominal 440 litres, the Maybach's boot capacity is a significant 205 litres less than that offered by the standard EQS 4Matic SUV, owing in part to the relocation of the rear seats further back in the cabin for increased legroom.

Powering the Maybach EQS680 4Matic SUV is an upgraded version of the standard Mercedes-Benz EQS580 SUV's dual electric motor drivetrain, with standard all-wheel drive.

Power and torque have increased by 84kW and 92Nm to a respective 484kW and 950Nm, making it the most powerful model in the EQS SUV line-up, and in line with the 484kW and 900Nm of the AMG EQS53 performance sedan.

In addition to the Eco, Sport and Off-Road driving modes seen on the EQS580, the EQS680 adds a new Maybach mode as an alternative to the usual Comfort setting, which uses a so-called 'oscillation node' claimed to minimise the movement of the body over bumps to improve comfort.

Although it is yet to reveal how much the new model weighs, Mercedes-Maybach says its latest SUV will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, and reach a top speed limited to 210km/h.

Electric energy is stored in a 108.4kWh lithium-ion battery, claimed to deliver average energy consumption of between 24.4 and 22.5kWh/100km on Europe's WLTP test cycle, and driving range "in the region of 600km", according to Mercedes.

Aiding the driving range figure is the ability to decouple the front electric motor at lower speeds to improve efficiency, a feature planned for standard EQS SUV models later this year, and set to feature on the smaller EQE SUV.

By comparison, the standard EQS580 SUV claims a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds and the same 210km/h top speed, in combination with average energy consumption between 24.1 and 20.0kWh/100km and a WLTP driving range claim of up to 615km.

As with standard EQS SUV models, the battery can be charged at up to 22kW via an on-board charger, and at up to 200kW on a high-power DC charger.

Mercedes-Maybach claims a 15-minute top up on the fastest DC charging station can net an additional 220km of range under optimal charging conditions, with a 10 to 80 per cent recharge of the battery claimed to take 31 minutes.

The new Maybach model comes as standard with adaptive Airmatic air suspension, which allows the ground clearance to be increased by up to 35mm at the touch of a button.

Standard rear-wheel steering also provides the first electric Maybach model with a turning circle of 11 metres.