The 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV, which is the German luxury marque’s first-ever electric SUV, can now be ordered at select dealerships across the United States at a starting price of $179,900, excluding the $1,150 delivery fee.
U.S.-spec models will be assembled at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama, with deliveries soon to follow, and will come as standard with a 484-kilowatt (649-horsepower) dual-motor powertrain juiced by a 107.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. That’s 113 hp more than the non-Maybach EQS 580 SUV, while the torque figure has been improved by 67 pound-feet for a total of 700 lb-ft.
Luxury is the name of the game and has always been in the case of Maybach, so the EQS 680 SUV comes with air suspension and a no-cost option that replaces the standard five-seat layout with a four-seat arrangement that includes high-end recliners in the back covered in diamond-quilted stitched leather.
Gallery: 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV First Drive Review
Heated, cooled, and massaging seats front and rear are offered from the get-go, while the available Executive Rear Seat Package Plus adds a calf massage feature. Two 11.6-inch rear seat entertainment displays, as well as no fewer than three screens that fill the entire dashboard, are also part of the standard package – a 17.7-inch Hyperscreen dead in the middle of the dash and a pair of 12.3-inch screens on the sides.
A Burmester 4D surround sound system with Dolby Atmos provides audio entertainment for everyone inside, and for an extra splash of luxury, the driver’s door opens automatically when the person who’s carrying the key is about five feet away from the car, for a low-key but impressive show.
21-inch alloy and forged wheels are offered as standard, and the options list includes things like a dual-tone paintwork with a filigree pinstripe that’s applied by hand, darkened Maybach pinstripes on the grille panel, and a Maybach emblem on each headlight, as part of the Night Series package.
Compared to other luxury all-electric SUVs, the 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV is probably the most expensive one out there that you can also get delivery of relatively fast. The Faraday Future FF91 is significantly more expensive, with a price of around $309,000, but less than 10 units have been delivered so far, to the best of our knowledge.
At the same time, there’s the Cadillac Escalade iQ that can be taken into account, with a lower starting price of about $130,000, but deliveries of the American SUV are slated to begin at the end of next year.