Luxury electric limo alert! 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS680 SUV to beat the Range Rover EV to market and it's coming to Australia

Mercedes-Benz is upping the ante on its electrified offerings by introducing the ultra-luxury Maybach EQS SUV.

As its name suggests, the EQS680 is based on the already revealed EQS SUV, and follows the Concept Maybach EQS from September 2021.

Currently the Benz range has two Maybach offerings - the GLS600 SUV from $395,500 before on-road costs, and the S-Class-based S680 sedan from $573,192.

It’s unclear what pricing will be when it comes to Australia midway through 2024, but it’s a fair bet it will sit somewhere between the two above models.

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The EQS gains Maybach’s typical styling cues, like two-tone paint and a hand-drawn pinstripe, and it also features a waterfall grille, even though as a battery electric vehicle it doesn’t require a grille.

Inside, practicality has given way to luxury, with the removal of the optional third seating row from the regular EQS in favour of two ultra-plush captain’s chairs.

The seats have a range of heating and ventilation functions, as well as massaging, of course, but it also houses a pull-out ottoman, a calf massager and shoulder heaters for those chilly nights by the French riviera.

An optional First Class Rear Seat adds a larger central console connected to the front with heated cupholders, a puddle lamp projecting the Maybach logo onto the carpet, and the availability of a refrigerator and silver-plated champagne flutes.

There’s a pair of 11.6-inch displays on the rear of the front seats for access to the MBUX system in the rear.

If your driver has the day off, you will find Benz’s Hyperscreen dominating the dash, and stretching across to the passenger side.

Various high-end materials are found throughout, including Nappa leather seats, lacquered piano black, and multiple woodgrain choices.

Powering the Maybach SUV is a fully electric drivetrain consisting of a pair of electric motors offering an output of 484kW and a whopping 950Nm, making for a 0-100km/h dash of 4.4 seconds.

It has a DC charging capacity of 200kW and can be topped up in 31 minutes using a fast charger. Benz says it consumes 24.4-22.5kWh/100km of power and has a driving range of up to 600km.