Summary
The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is a large crossover model in the all-electric Mercedes-EQ catalogue, based on the luxury EQS saloon (The Car Expert’s Car of the Year for 2021).
Now available to order, the EQS SUV is considered by UK motoring outlets to be one of the most luxurious and practical cars on the market. “It’s imposing, quiet, refined, and full of clever tech and premium features, says Richard Ingram of Auto Express, adding that “it’s a great cruiser and offers a truly cavernous interior.”
The EQS SUV has been widely criticised for its pricing, which Parkers calls “eye-watering” and Carwow “extremely expensive”.
The SUV’s impressive driving comfort also forms an issue for some reviewers. The Top Gear team says that the EQS SUV is “so smooth it’s almost not a car at all”, concluding that “it lacks the character and supreme authority that makes the Range Rover such a lodestar.”
As of December 2024, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV holds a New Car Expert Rating of C, with a score of 64%. Its media reviews are average but it has the benefit of zero tailpipe emissions. Running costs are high, which pulls the score down by a few points.
- Mercedes-Benz EQS saloon (2021 onwards) – Expert Rating
- More Mercedes-Benz Expert Ratings, new car reviews, news and features
EQS SUV highlights
- Class-leading interior refinement
- Packed with on-board tech
- Relaxing and comfortable driving experience
- Usable off-road and rear-steering function
- Four drivetrains on offer
EQS SUV lowlights
- Very expensive, base price and up
- Not all that exciting to drive
- Not as efficient as its saloon sibling
- Very heavy
Key specifications
Body style: Large SUV
Engines: electric, battery-powered
Price: From £129,470 on-road
Launched: Spring 2023
Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA
Image gallery
Media reviews
Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: EQS 450
Score: 7 / 10
“The new Mercedes EQS SUV struggles to impress on UK roads with obvious flaws when it comes to the ride.”
Author: Sean Carson
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Model reviewed: EQS 450
Score: 7 / 10
“The new Mercedes EQS SUV is an extraordinary luxury car. It’s imposing, quiet, refined, and full of clever tech and premium features. It’s a great cruiser and offers a truly cavernous interior. But at this price, you want a car that can do it all, and at times the EQS off-roader feels like it lacks the talent in some areas that a car like this needs to be impenetrable. We’d wait for the forthcoming all-electric Range Rover.” (Richard Ingram)
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Auto Trader
Score: 6 / 10
“This electric mega-SUV sits at the top of Mercedes’ EV tree as the largest, most luxurious of its type, with an eye-watering price tag to match. Its sloping, bubble shape means it’s not immediately recognisable as an SUV, but it sits high off the ground with the space inside you’d hope for.”
Author: Erin Baker
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Business Car
Model reviewed: EQS 450 SUV AMG Line Premium Plys
Score: 8 / 10
“Like the hatch, we wish the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV had more in the way of character, but it impresses with its high levels of refinement, ride, and performance.”
Author: Martyn Collins
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Car
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“There’s lots going for the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV: we love the plush ride, the oodles of torque and the all-pervading quality and overall class. Yes, it’s expensive – and we suspect many CAR readers will loathe the over-complex interior. But unlike the EQS saloon, the SUV has all the space you will ever need, and drives in a most agreeable way.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mercedes EQS SUV is a worthy technological flagship, but all that kit doesn’t come cheap.”
Author: Richard Ingram, Antony Ingram
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Carwow
Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is a premium electric SUV that is wonderfully comfortable and well-equipped, but it’s not the most exciting car to look at.”
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Driving Electric
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“Mercedes’ flagship electric car gets the SUV treatment – boasting seating for seven and a 365-mile range.”
Author: Richard Ingram
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Electrifying.com
Model reviewed:
Score: 7 / 10
“This SUV version of the EQS, has all the luxury of the saloon in an SUV package. It sits firmly at the top of the range of electric vehicles produced by Mercedes, but is less efficient than the saloon.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
“Eye-wateringly expensive, and options will further jack up the price.”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: EQS 450 SUV AMG Line Premium Plus
Score: 8 / 10
“Beneath its slightly underwhelming skin, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV is a plutocratic and cosseting luxury SUV that does what it sets out to do very well. It feels, in other words, exactly as you’d hope an electric S-Class SUV would. If you can get past the generic looks, then, you’ll probably like what you’ll find.” (Alex Robbins)
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The EQS SUV does it all but it lacks the character and supreme authority that makes the Range Rover such a lodestar.”
Read review
Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
As of December 2024, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV has not been assessed by Euro NCAP.
Eco rating
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
As of December 2024, the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV has not been assessed by Green NCAP.
The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the EQS SUV is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing whenever it ever takes place. Check back again soon.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of December 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV to generate a reliability rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.
As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the EQS SUV, we’ll publish the score here.
Running cost rating
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
| Battery range | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 394 miles | A | 369 – 453 miles | A – A |
| Electrical efficiency | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| EV models | 3.3 m/KWh | E | 3.1 – 4.2 m/KWh | B – E |
| Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
| All models | 50 | F | 49 – 50 | E – F |
| Service and maintenance | Cost | Score |
| Year 1 | £408 | C |
| Year 2 | £868 | C |
| Year 3 | £1,365 | C |
| Year 4 | £1,597 | C |
| Year 5 | £2,127 | C |
| Overall | £6,365 | C |
Running costs for the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV are quite high for an EV, according to numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data. This is hardly surprising for a car of such size and sophistication.
Electrical efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for a petrol or diesel car) is poor, although a large battery means that the EQS SUV still offers an excellent driving range. Depending on which model you choose, maximum driving range is more than 450 miles according to official EU/UK government lab tests. In real-world driving, you’d still expect to get about 400 miles.
Although there’s currently no road tax for electric vehicles, you will still pay a high premium for insurance and servicing, although that’s going to be much the same for any car with a £100K-plus price tag.
Similar cars
If you’re looking at the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, you might also be interested in these alternatives.
Audi e-tron | Audi Q7 | Audi Q8 | BMW X5 | Jaguar I-Pace | Mercedes-Benz EQC | Mercedes-Benz GLE | Porsche Cayenne | Range Rover Sport | Volvo XC90
- Mercedes-Benz EQS (2021 onwards) – Expert Rating
- More Mercedes-Benz ratings, reviews, news and features
More information
More news, reviews and information about the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV at The Car Expert
Buy a Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
If you’re looking to buy a new or used Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car.
Find your next used car with Motors. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more
Find your next new or used car with Carwow. Find out more
Subscribe to a Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV
Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)
Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
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Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
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Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
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