New 2022 Mercedes EQS SUV spied in lighter camouflage

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Luke Wilkinson

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Mercedes will unveil the new EQS SUV next year - an all-electric alternative for luxury SUVs such as the BMW X7 and the Range Rover - and these are the latest spy shots.

This newly spied prototype has dropped the cladding under the camouflage wrap to give us a better look at the car’s lines. Much like the Mercedes EQS saloon, the SUV will have very clean surfacing with minimal creases in the doors and bonnet – presumably in the interest of aerodynamic efficiency.


Up front, the EQS SUV will share the same blanked-off black grille and C-shaped bumper intakes as the saloon. It’s headlamps also have a similar triangular shape, although they’ve been enlarged to suit the car’s more bulbous styling.

Also like the saloon, the Mercedes EQS SUV will have cab-forward styling. As there’s no engine and gearbox eating up space in the chassis, the brand’s engineers have pushed the windscreen towards the front wheels to make more space inside compared with the petrol and diesel powered GLS SUV.

The EQS’s rear end will look a little unusual compared with the GLS. It’s stretched out due to the cab-forward design, making the car look more like an estate in profile. However, this should liberate a little more legroom for rear-seat passengers and maximise boot space

Mercedes EQS SUV

Mercedes EQS SUV
Mercedes EQS SUV - rear

Mercedes EQS SUV - rear
Mercedes EQS SUV - side

Mercedes EQS SUV - side
Mercedes EQS SUV - interior

Mercedes EQS SUV - interior
Mercedes EQS SUV - interior

Mercedes EQS SUV - interior
Mercedes EQS SUV - front

Mercedes EQS SUV - front

Mercedes’s design chief, Gordon Wagener recently discussed the EQS and upcoming EQE SUV’s design brief with Auto Express, saying: “They will look different in a similar way as I describe the EQS. They will be more seamless, more integrated, more aerodynamic, more futuristic looking, so it will be a new type of SUV.”

Our spies also offer a decent look at the new SUV’s interior, which looks set to receive the same 55.5-inch Hyperscreen infotainment system as the EQS saloon. The system comprises a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.7-inch central touchscreen and, hiding underneath the cladding, we expect there’s a third 12.3-inch unit for the passenger.

During its recent electrification conference, Mercedes confirmed that an even more luxurious Maybach version of the EQS SUV has been scheduled for launch.

Britta Seeger, Mercedes’s head of marketing and sales, said: “Next year we will present SUV versions of our EQE as well as of our EQS. All these cars will provide high range, first-class comfort and impressive dynamics.

“And I can promise you that we will maintain this momentum going forward. What applies to the Mercedes portfolio also applies to our incredibly strong sub brands – we want to go electric. So, you can look forward to a top-notch EQS SUV version of Mercedes-Maybach, for example.”

The EQS SUV should also adopt Mercedes’s Level 3 autonomous driving technology, which will allow the car to drive itself with limited driver supervision at speeds up to 37mph, when in slow-moving motorway traffic. The UK Government recently legalised such systems for use on the road, meaning there’s no longer any road-blocks for British buyers.

New 2022 Mercedes EQS SUV: powertrains and platform

Mercedes is yet to confirm any technical details on the EQS SUV, but we expect it’ll be based on the same EVA2 underpinnings as the saloon. As such, it should be offered with a similar range of battery packs and electric motors.

Mercedes EQS SUV

Mercedes EQS SUV
Mercedes EQS SUV - rear

Mercedes EQS SUV - rear
Mercedes EQS SUV - side

Mercedes EQS SUV - side
Mercedes EQS SUV - interior

Mercedes EQS SUV - interior
Mercedes EQS SUV - interior

Mercedes EQS SUV - interior
Mercedes EQS SUV - front

Mercedes EQS SUV - front

The EQS saloon is available with either a 90kWh or 107.8kWh battery pack, the larger of which offers a maximum range of 478 miles. We expect the SUV’s less aerodynamic shape will make a dent in that figure, but a range of at least 400 miles could be achievable.

Mercedes has confirmed specifications for two of the EQS saloon’s powertrains, called 450+ and 580 4MATIC. The first features a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, which develops 329bhp and 569Nm of torque. The second features an electric motor on each axle which gives four-wheel drive and an output of 516bhp and 855Nm of torque.

However, Mercedes is working on an AMG-badged performance electric powertrain which develops 751bhp. The system will first appear on the EQS saloon, although it could easily be transplanted into the EQS SUV if it winds up being based on the same EVA underpinnings. There’s certainly a business case for a high-performance version of the EQS SUV, too, as Mercedes already makes a 603bhp AMG 63 version of the GLS.

Now read all the latest news on the EQS SUV’s baby sibling, the EQE SUV

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