2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 SUV Review

Agent Smith would like the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 SUV. After all, it was inevitable.

When the EQS sedan came out last year, it signalled the electric future of Mercedes-Benz. Here was an EV worthy of the luxury badge, one with a radically different look inside and out. The EQS deleted the idea of range anxiety too: we drove it 417 miles (671 kilometers) in the summer.

But that was a sedan. Ask anybody what the market wants and the answer is the same: SUVs. Thus the EQS SUV has arrived, a stretched high-rider packing three-rows, and sitting atop the sprawling Merc crossover lineup. Does the recipe translate to the SUV world? Mostly, yes—but with some additional compromises.

The whole model, really. That being said, as the name implies, the EQS SUV borrows a whole heck of a lot from its streamlined sibling. The platform and wheelbase are the same, though the dimensions are different: the SUV is naturally taller, but it’s wider, and around 5.5 inches (140 millimeters) stubbier, too. In fact, it’s even slightly shorter than the gas-powered GLS. Despite this, the EQS still squeezes in an optional third row.

The styling is naturally similar to the sedan, though with its own touches. The front “grille” is larger, and dotted with a pattern of tiny MB logos that manages to stay on the right side of the cool/gauche divide. The headlights are a similar shape, but feature a unique LED signature composed of thin triangles. Like many electric crossovers (BMW iX and Hyundai Ioniq 5, amongst others), the EQS SUV rides low, looking more like an oversized wagon than a traditional rough-and-tumble SUV. Still very smooth—a drag coefficient of 0.26, donchyaknow—it features a rear tailgate angle that splits the difference between the upright GLS and the raked GLE Coupe.

Riding on big 21-inch alloys (20s and 22s are available), the EQS SUV is imposing, and more visually interesting than the sedan. It’s not without its detractors, however: a friend refers to it as “the fanciest Honda Odyssey out there,” and my wife walked up to a Ford Escape thinking it was the Merc. Whoops.

There are no such qualms with the interior of the EQS SUV, however. This part is also pretty much identical to the sedan, and it’s all the better for it. Here in full cream-and-blue leather glory, the EQS SUV’s interior is airy and spacious, with soft-touch materials everywhere. There’s just enough wood to feel high-end without being stuffy, though if I were speccing the car, I’d opt for the MB-logo pattern on the center console former-tree instead of pinstripes. The wraparound dashboard design gives the EQS interior all the ambiance of a swanky lounge—and that only gets better at night when the light show begins.

The front seats are hugely comfortable, with soft pillows on the headrests for that extra touch of class. The driving position is naturally higher, and visibility is good. There are even a few commodious cubbies to store doo-dads, with sizeable ones in the door panels as well as under the center console.

Second-row accommodations are almost as nice as the front, thanks to a swathe of pricey options (more on those later). Upgraded headrests continue back here, perched atop supple seating with heating. The upgraded fold-out armrest boasts a tablet—or at least, it should, as my tester was mysteriously missing it. Second-row riders also gain access to a wireless charger as well as the same gesture controls as the front. There’s more headroom than the equivalent GLS, too, and the seats slide fore and aft almost half a foot. Last but not least, the EQS boasts five-zone climate control; four quadrants in the first two rows, and a fifth for the way-back.

Ah yes, the third row. Optional on all EQS SUV trims in Canada and the US, the two-seat space is fine for adults in a pinch. There are four USB-C ports and two cupholders—and available heated seats—but the dramatic taper of the body makes it a tight fit. Not only that, but the powered second-row seats take forever to move out of the way for access—and when they do, they shift the front-row thrones, too. I ran the EQS with the third row folded for most of the week, which are manual in operation.

MBUX and I get along, generally. Mercedes’ current user interface is a little overwhelming at first, not least when it’s presented in full-width Hyperscreen glory. Hyperscreen, consisting of two 12.3-inch screens and a central, 17.7-inch touchscreen under one panel of glass, is optional on the EQS 450 SUV and standard on this 580 trim. The real estate allows for big, easy-to-read icons however, so it’s easy to flick between selections. I prefer to not even smudge up the screen with my grubby digits, so the tiny right-side touchpad on the steering wheel is still the best method. If you’re used to voice assistants at home, Merc’s is still one of the best, responding to natural language accurately. It’s mellowed over the years too, so there’s less chance you’ll accidentally activate it.

As it turns out, sometimes you’ll have to talk to MBUX. For most of the week, I used the heated seats function, and it also warmed that oversized steering wheel. Great! But there are times when one only needs the rim toasty. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a button for that anywhere. Only once I returned the car did I find out that heating just the wheel requires that specific request voiced. Not so great.

The infotainment setup is just one aspect, and I could fill this whole review with just tech bits. One of the Merc’s killer apps is its augmented reality navigation. Using the head-up display, the system displays directions directly in-line with the road: come up on your turn, and the arrows float right at the intersection. It’s one of the best arguments yet to use a native system instead of simply plugging into Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (both wireless here).

During the holidays, every person who set foot in the EQS cabin enjoyed Merc’s signature ambient lighting. The extended themes, with integrated visuals and massage seat programs, really do help on longer drives. The integrated second-row entertainment screens feel contradictorily old-fashioned, however: surely anybody needing that sort of distraction has an accessible tablet, right?

This is a big, comfort-focused SUV. I state this bit of obviousness because it’s unlikely the lucky folks looking to go deep into six figures on something like it care about things like on-the-limit handling or steering feedback. Which is good, because the EQS SUV doesn’t have any of the latter.

That’s not to say the EQS is sloppy to drive—it isn’t. In fact, it’s remarkably agile for something so enormous, with up to 10 degrees of rear-wheel steering to help it in tight spots. It’s quick too, as you’d expect of anything with two electric motors, 516 horsepower, and 632 pound-feet of torque. The EQS gathers speed in a self-assured stride, like nothing could stop it. Inevitable.

Braking is … less good. The EQS’ brake pedal is hard to judge, especially in the highest regenerative braking setting. Here it regularly shifts away from the driver’s foot as the regen does its thing. It’s unnatural and sucks driver confidence.

After the serenity of the EQS sedan, I expected more of the same. Like the sedan, there’s a four-link suspension up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, with a standard air suspension and adaptive damping. The SUV glides along quite well, but there is a surprising amount of suspension noise.

Then there was the range. This being December, I didn’t expect the EQS SUV to come close to the sedan’s long-distance run. But somewhere around 217 miles (350 kilometers) on a single charge, with no hijinx and temperatures hovering right around freezing? That’s a far way off the official 285 mi (459 km).

Speaking of charging, the EQS SUV hides a 108.4-kWh battery pack, 0.6-kWh more capacity than the sedan. It peaks at 200 kW of charging on a DC fast charger, which is enough to do the 10-to-80-percent industry standard top-up in 31 minutes. I only used 50 kW chargers during the week, but like the sedan, the EQS SUV bumps right up against the cap there, typically sucking down 49.5 kW or thereabouts.

The EQS SUV has a price befitting its place at the top of the lineup. In America, even the “entry-level” EQS 450+ starts from $105,550 including destination. This top-level 580—there will be no AMG—rings up at $127,100. From there are a whole bunch of options, some pricier than others, like the gray-and-blue interior ($4,750 / $2,000 CAD)), augmented HUD ($2,200 / $3,100 CAD), rear entertainment system ($2,900 / $5,000 CAD), and other bits. There’s no exact match for our Can-spec tester, but a rough go at the configurator shows $147,765.

Canadian pricing is different, as there’s no rear-drive model. Packaging is also vastly different, but as-tested, you’re looking at $186,000 CAD. That’s before destination too, which Mercedes-Benz Canada leaves to each dealer to determine.

That’s a whole heap of coin, but it’s not far removed from another titan of the luxury world: the new Land Rover Range Rover. Until JLR unleashes the electric model, however, the Merc has the new-age edge. BMW’s iX, while impressive, is a size smaller.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 SUV has its problems. Chief amongst them is how little it communicates with the driver. It’s more of a 5+2 than a full seven-seater, too. I doubt either of those things really matter to prospective buyers, whoever.

Is this EV worthy of the flagship designation? As an experience it’s surely an opulent one, with a gorgeous interior that wows and satisfies in equal measure. It is quick and composed, all while keeping the cabin very isolated from the bluster of reality. More than any of that, it comes in the shape buyers demand. In the soon-to-grow high-lux large SUV world, the EQS SUV is currently king.