Mercedes-Benz EQS vs Porsche Cayenne

What's the difference?

It’s unquestionably fast, certainly luxurious, but I’ll be honest, I don’t think the EQS is going to be for everyone. The styling will be challenging for some and the glittery interior tech offering might be a bit much, even for the more rusted-on Benz traditionalists.

Then again, shouldn't an electrified flagship be all about challenging the status quo, trying new ideas, and bringing new fans to the brand? If anything, I think that might be what the EQS does best.

There is a lot riding on this new Cayenne Electric, it is the sales leader for the German brand and if it suffers the same sales decline as the Macan, that will be a big concern for Porsche.

The good news is it’s an impressive all-rounder, with an incredible breadth of capability. But so is the electric Macan.

Going electric hasn’t diminished its trademark Porsche elements, and instead has amplified them in many respects. The speed is nothing short of staggering in the Turbo, but across the range the on and off-road driving ability is impressive. 

Plus it has the kind of spacious, well-considered and premium appointed cabin you should expect for a luxury SUV.

There are two key differences that could see it succeed where the Macan has faltered. Unlike the Macan, Porsche’s decision to give Cayenne buyers the option to stick with internal combustion if they prefer, is likely to ensure it remains a popular member of its line-up for years to come.

And while the Macan was perhaps too much, too soon, the Cayenne arrives at a time when Australians are embracing electric cars more than ever before. Although the luxury and performance end of the EV market is growing more slowly than the mainstream.

As for the pick of the range, as mind-blowing as the Turbo is, the truth is (like pretty much every Porsche model) the entry-level Cayenne is arguably the pick of the bunch. It has all the performance you’ll reasonably need and offers a good blend of capability and luxury for the lowest price.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

We’re going to start with design, because from the outset it is a topic which simply must be addressed.

Mercedes has flipped the script when it comes to its next-generation design language worn by its dedicated range of ‘EQ’ electric cars. It follows a trend we’re seeing across the industry of larger, more amorphous vehicles which need the space to accommodate batteries, but also the aerodynamic traits to extend driving range and keep energy efficiency as high as possible.

The issue when it comes to the EQS is it essentially puts the iconic S-Class shape, refined over generations, in the bin, and replaces it with something a bit more challenging to the eye.

Gone are the angles, louvres, and deeply three-dimensional grilles, replaced by sleek rounded edges, wheels which reach to the very edges of the chassis, a blank, almost plasticky grille and a more liftback-like profile than one of a traditional sedan.

You’d better get used to it, too, because the smaller EQE is near identical in shape, a trend which will no doubt continue across other EQ models.

It’s the finer details that add character, particularly for the 53 with its AMG-leanings. The lack of shapeliness down the side makes the massive 22-inch wheels stand out more, and the rear three-quarter might be this car’s best angle, with a colour-matching spoiler flicking up off the small bootlid, and delicate badgework illustrating this car’s place in the world. Our car, which appeared in a silver shade timeless on Mercedes-Benz models, made the black AMG highlights on the front and rear bumpers shine, and some of the usual Benz shape is claimed back through the EQS’s LED light profile, both at the front and rear.

There’s no doubt it’s a step into the future, and an overall shape which is a marriage of both form and function. While looks are always subjective, I still think it may be a hard sell, even to some of the most committed fans of Mercedes design.

For all the positives of continuing to offer the previous generation Cayenne alongside the new one, it does come with some downsides too. The most obvious is unmissable design differences between the older generation and this newer one.

This new electric version has the same basic silhouette of the previous Cayenne, but the details give it a distinctive look. Being electric it needs to cut through the air as efficiently as possible, so this new model is longer and lower than the internal combustion versions.

The details of the design also give it a sharper, more modern look too. Not that the previous Cayenne suddenly looks old and outdated, but if you stick with petrol power you will be sacrificing the latest styling.

Another surprising design element with this new model is an optional off-road package, which includes a unique front bumper for greater off-road clearance and approach angle. It’s unlikely that too many Cayenne Electric owners will head deep into the bush, but for those who want to, the unique bumper will help them go further. 

However, it does create a rather unusual look, as it has quite a pronounced undercut, or what I referred to as an ‘overbite’ that definitely doesn’t look as well-proportioned as the standard bodykit.

Inside, for all the hype around Porsche performance, one of the brand’s standout features has always been interior design. 

This new Cayenne looks really interesting inside, with curved screens for the digital instrument display and the multimedia system, as well as the option to add a third screen in-front of the passenger. 

The overall level of fit and finish, the detail and quality of the materials is exactly what you’d expect from a premium brand and an SUV at this price point.

The EQS is enormous, so it’s a good thing there’s huge amounts of interior space, even for what is ostensibly an S-Class, and with its bespoke electrified underpinnings, it also scores the kinds of innovations we like to see from electric cars.

These include things like a huge cutaway under the floating dash for extra storage, which the brand has seen fit to add elastic tie-downs so your objects don’t go flying in corners!

Storage up front is otherwise excellent with decent bins in the doors with height-limited sections for bottles, a flip open tray which houses the wireless charger and a set of fold-away bottle holders, and split-opening armrest console box which is deep and features yet another set of USB-C outlets.

Adjustability is great for front passengers, but ergonomically I found something a little weird about the digital dash. For me to rest my arms and hold the wheel, I had to set it so low the top of the wheel obscured the instruments, and if I set it high enough to see the full cluster, to comfortably hold the wheel my elbows would need to float above the armrests. Weird.

It doesn’t end there for the entirely touch-based controls either. While the (admittedly very cool-looking) wheel is packed full of buttons and touch sliders, they require near-surgical precision to operate with your thumbs, distracting while you’re driving, and the enormous centre screen’s main drawback is the fact CarPlay, for example, was not designed for the buttons and functions on the far left to be a metre away from where the driver’s hand is. Again, it’s distracting to have to lean out of your seat to hit the ‘back’ button on most context menus.

I would like to tell you at this point the Mercedes-Benz menus are mercifully simple to aid you with such an overwhelming system, but this isn’t true either. For some reason, there’s a ‘vehicle settings’ menu accessed easily through the main panel, or another menu with a separate set of key functions activated by a car-shaped shortcut button on the floating console. Why? Why aren’t these menus the same? I discovered this in my attempts to use the ‘raise vehicle’ function when faced with a steep driveway. You’re going to need to use this function often in a car measuring over 5.2 metres long, so hiding it in a confusing menu is an interesting choice.

The back seat is where the EQS should shine, and in terms of space it’s stellar. I can barely touch the seat in front of me when set to my own (182cm tall) driving position. It comes with some soft pillows which attach to the headrests, the sunroof extends back there nicely while not impeding on the great headroom, and the lavish trims all continue into the doors and seat bases, too.

The drop-down armrest has a trick pop-out bottle holder in it, and there are a further two on the doors. Amenity-wise rear passengers score four adjustable air vents with two climate zones adjusted via their own touch-panel, but I was interested to see there was a lack of screens back there.

This is particularly notable as most S-Classes are bought to be driven in rather than to drive, and the screens are so much in the front, I was expecting a matching offering for rear travellers. Not so.

You also can’t adjust the rear seats at all, and unlike some EVs coming out in this space, there’s no recliner mode for the full business-class experience.

The boot is much larger than in the smaller EQE, with the EQS making use of its extended dimensions nicely. The floor is fully flat, and has a secret compartment underneath for the storage of both your included Type 2 to Type 2 public AC charging cable, and Type 2 to wall-socket converter for garage charging.

With a total space of 580 litres, the EQS comfortably consumed our entire CarsGuide luggage set with space to spare.

As for the space and practicality, once again Porsche showcases that it’s not a one-trick pony brand. As fast as the Cayenne Electric is - and is very fast - the designers have also ensured it is a genuinely spacious vehicle for a family.

The second row space is good, enough to take two adults in comfort and easily accommodate three kids.

The SUV is obviously the more practical of the pair, with the Coupe losing some rear headroom.

As for the boot, space varies between 781L for the Cayenne SUV and 747L for the S and Turbo SUVs, while the Coupe looks sleeker but comes at the expense of cargo capacity, dropping to 534L for the Coupe and Coupe S and just 500L for the Coupe Turbo. 

The technology integration is well-considered too. One highlight is the new curved central multimedia screen, which has a palm rest that extends out from the centre fascia to make it more ergonomic to use the screen. 

The intuitive menu, as well as the physical controls for the volume and climate control, plus the ability to integrate the smartphone apps, means the key non-driving functions are incredibly easy-to-use, even on the move. 

Integrated into that palm rest is a large centre console space between the front seats, which has both wireless smartphone charging as well as four USB-C ports and two cupholders. It means there is plenty of small item storage space to go with all the room for people.

Starting with the basics, there are two different variants of the new Cayenne - the SUV and Coupe - and three trim grades to choose from - the entry-level model (known only as ‘Cayenne’), the sportier S and the flagship Turbo.

A major factor in the sales decline of the Macan is undoubtedly the rising cost of the car, which leapt up as much as $30,000 on some variants. So Porsche has been more careful with how it has positioned the Cayenne.

The new electric Cayenne is still a more expensive proposition, with the standard Cayenne SUV starting at $167,700 ($173,500 for the Coupe), which is over $20,000 more expensive than the equivalent petrol-powered model. It should be noted that that doesn’t factor in the increased performance and level of standard equipment, which includes air-suspension across the entire electric range.

Moving up the range, at $193,000 (Coupe - $194,500) the Cayenne S Electric is only just over $8000 more than its petrol alternative but the $259,800 (Coupe - $272,000) Turbo is actually more than $40,000 cheaper than the Turbo E-Hybrid. So it is not as simple as saying the electric Cayenne costs more across the board.

However, this isn’t the only one of the key differences between Porsche’s Macan and Cayenne strategy. The Cayenne petrol and hybrid models are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Rather than being completely replaced by the electric version, Porsche has learned its lesson and is giving customers more choice. 

Officially Porsche hasn’t confirmed a new-generation of Cayenne petrol/hybrids, but all signs point to a new version coming in the next few years to carry on internal combustion power deep into the 2030s.

Porsche Australia also knows that the competitiveness of our very crowded market means extra equipment is a good idea. So all Australia-bound Cayenne Electrics come relatively well equipped, and more so than most overseas markets. For example, all local examples are fitted with air suspension as standard.

For the Cayenne, standard equipment includes:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Matrix LED headlights
• Illuminated ‘Porsche’ lettering on the bootlid
• Panoramic glass roof
• Dual-zone climate control
• Eight-way adjustable sports seat
• 10-speaker sound system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 

For the extra money - aside from extra performance we’ll detail later - the Cayenne S adds: 

• 21-inch alloys,
• Four-zone climate control
• Bose surround sound audio system with 14 speakers

The Cayenne Turbo adds even more performance as well as:

• 22-inch alloys
• Unique lower front bumper
• Porsche Active Aero Dynamics with active Aeroblades
• HD-Matrick LED headlights
• Variable light control for the panoramic roof

Adaptive sports seats with 18-way adjustment

In the electric era, do performance figures matter? AMG would argue a resounding ‘yes’ although I would argue the art for premium automakers like Mercedes is now in producing suspension setups that can handle the weight of batteries.

Regardless, the EQS has a dual-motor setup, capable of providing a whopping 484kW/950Nm in its standard form, or an even more incredible 560kW/1020Nm with the Dynamic Plus package. Look, you’re spending over $328,000 already, what’s an extra $8k or so to put pretty much any other four-wheeled object in your rear-vision mirror? With the Dynamic Package, a sprint time of 3.4 seconds is… brutal.

The four-wheel drive system is necessary to keep all that power under control. While some enthusiasts may be turned-off by the four-wheel steer function, I’d read on to the driving section to see why it’s not only worth having (try turning a 5.2-meter long sedan around without it) but also not as intrusive as you think it’s going to be in the corners.

As mentioned earlier, there are three initial Cayenne Electric variants and each offer a different powertrain option. All are dual-motor, all-wheel drive but the power levels vary greatly depending on what you spend.

The standard Cayenne Electric comes with 300kW (325kW on Overboost), which is enough for this five-seat, family friendly SUV to launch 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, which is genuinely impressive.

However, stepping up to the Cayenne S raises the power level to 400kW (490kW on Overboost) and drops the 0-100km/h time to 3.8 seconds.

Finally there’s the Cayenne Turbo, with up to 850kW of power and a claimed 0-100km/h capability of just 2.5 seconds. Which is borderline crazy for such a big SUV. 

It is worth explaining that the 850kW claim for the Cayenne Turbo is only available for short bursts of performance when you activate Overboost, and the ‘standard’ output for the two electric motors is 630kW, which may sound like a lot less but is actually more than enough to make the Cayenne Turbo feel fast anytime you need more performance.

Even at the official energy consumption of 23kWh/100km, the EQS’ drivetrain is essentially the electric equivalent of wielding a massive V8 under the hood. It’s not by any measure impressive, but then, with 107.8kWh of lithium batteries under the floor, it’s perhaps impressive it’s not worse than an Audi e-tron, particularly since the EQS weighs in at nearly three tonnes.

The battery is one of the largest on the market in Australia, offering the EQS a driving range of 585km on the WLTP cycle. Very impressive.

On the charging front, the EQS can charge at up to 200kW on DC thanks to an advanced cooling system, and on AC charges at 11kW in its stock form or 22kW with an optional $2490 upgrade. Again, at $328k, why wouldn’t you want the best charging system you can get for so little extra?

You can also package in a Mercedes-Benz branded wallbox for your home garage, valued at $1450 before installation costs.

To give you an idea of charging times: Expect a little over two hours (from 10 per cent) on a common 50kW DC public charger, nearly ten hours from an 11kW AC public charger, and a number not even worth mentioning from a home wall socket.

The Cayenne is Porsche’s third electric model, after the Taycan and Macan, and it shows. The brand has taken battery production in-house for the Cayenne, producing the 106kWh unit at its own factory in Eastern Europe.

Range is rated at 542km for the Cayenne, 571km for the Cayenne S and 537km for the Cayenne Turbo.

Thermal efficiency is the key selling point for Porsche, as it unlocks not only the peak performance but also the repeatability that allows the Cayenne to launch so quickly over and over again. It’s notable, that unlike most other EVs that get slower the more time you extract peak performance out of them, Porsche was happy for us to undertake multiple acceleration runs in the same vehicle.

But that’s not the only trick Porsche has up its sleeve. It will be introducing inductive charging with the Cayenne. This means you’ll be able to buy a charging pad you can place on the floor in your garage, and simply drive it, park on top of it and the Cayenne will charge wirelessly.

This has the potential to be a game-changer for EV buyers as it removes the need to plug in to replenish the batteries, making life even easier for owners. It’s not available in Australia at the time of publication, but the company says it will be available from the fourth quarter and all Australian-delivered models, even those sold now, will be able to be retrofitted to take advantage of the technology.

The EQS is quite surreal to drive, and you’ll notice a whole bunch of odd things first.

Immediately the driving position will be surprising. It’s nothing like what a traditional sedan feels like. This is because you sit high in the EQS. This helps facilitate extra under-floor space for the batteries, but the way Benz puts it, this driving position is deliberately SUV-like to grant buyers the more desirable view of the road which they now (apparently) seek.

It has some oddities, as mentioned earlier, with the fixed digital instrument cluster, and the way the wheel can block it depending on your height, but on the whole I found visibility in the EQS to be pretty good, despite limitations out the distant rear window.

Sound-wise AMG has created a bespoke soundscape for its electric models, two soundscapes, in fact. One sounds like a facsimile of a distant, digitised, V8 (weird) while the other is a bit more sci-fi. I can’t decide which one I really like, but props to the brand for thinking of individual sounds for things like accelerating, regenerative braking, as well as turning the car off and on. There’s even a humming tone for when the car is idling. 

AMG says “it doesn’t work without sound” and I suppose it does add some sort of feedback to the experience which would otherwise be missing. I’d rather have it than not I suppose is the take-away here.

The acceleration is completely over-the-top in Sport or Sport+, allowing you to move such a large vehicle forward in an almost comically quick fashion. It has the sudden urge of a Tesla, but with an element of grace that follows courtesy of the adaptive suspension which, not only settles the ride, but keeps the car comfortable.

It is the suspension though which sets cars like the EQS (and even rivals from BMW) apart from the likes of Tesla. The ride in the EQS is superb, befitting the heir apparent to the S-Class throne. It’s hard to find a ride so void of issues, particularly in the everyday Comfort drive-mode. It’s not just the fact I can’t complain about brutality from this car’s oversized 22-inch wheels, but also there has clearly been delicate work conducted to control the rebound, body-roll, and jiggle which can occur as a result of moving around a near-three-tonne chunk of aluminium, steel, lithium and leather at enthusiastic speeds.

This settled ride combines gloriously with the four-wheel steer system to make the EQS a keen corner carver, despite gravity constantly working against it.

I was surprised to find the four-wheel steer system to be pretty much identical in feel to the system also employed in the EQE and new C43, in that it is unobtrusive to the overall feel of the car, only helping to add a little extra turn-in to the corners when need be.

In a vehicle as long as the EQS it’s a bit more noticeable, and requires a moment of brain-adjustment, as the car (bizarrely) goes exactly where you point it, requiring no over- or under-adjustments, the grip from the enormously capable four-wheel drive system refusing to let any shift under sensible driving conditions. 

So, it’s comfortable enough to be an S-Class, fast enough to be an AMG, but I must say there is something a bit clinical about how it attacks the road. Missing some of theAMG drama we’ve become so used to from the brand’s combustion range, perhaps?

Porsche Australia invited us to drive the new Cayenne Electric in Port Lincoln, South Australia. While a picturesque part of the country, it seemed like an unlikely venue to test drive a new Porsche, as it’s typically Ford Ranger/Toyota HiLux country.

But one of the reasons Porsche launched the Cayenne Electric in regional South Australia was because they had managed to find a small airstrip we could use to fully explore the acceleration potential. 

Even some operator error, which meant my launch was using ‘just’ the 630kW, the acceleration was sickeningly fast and had me hitting more than 170km/h in just 200m. With the full 850kW unleashed the Cayenne is actually faster 0-100km/h than Porsche’s hero sports car, the iconic 911 Turbo S. 

That alone is a remarkable achievement, but Porsche had a few more reasons for taking us to Port Lincoln. After a drive on some sealed roads, which demonstrated the SUV's on-road composure, we found ourselves heading off-road… more off-road than I thought possible (or at least sensible) in a Porsche.

After surviving some of the gnarliest rocky roads, we found ourselves in some stunning sand dunes. We were driving the Cayenne S with the optional off-road package but the only other modification was to let down the tyres.

Carving through sand dunes like you’re in the Dakar Rally is likely to be a rare job for the Cayenne Electric, but the fact it is capable is immensely impressive and helps to demonstrate the breadth of capability that this electric SUV has.

But Porsche wasn’t finished showing off just how multi-talented the Cayenne is. 

They had a Cayenne Turbo attached to a trailer, carrying the previously beaten 911 Turbo S, to prove that it can live up to its claimed 3500kg towing capacity.

Towing a nearly $600k sports car with a $260k SUV is an expensive way to demonstrate the point, but the Cayenne didn’t miss a beat. Certainly the battery was dropping more rapidly than it was unladen, but the electric Cayenne underlined that it can do everything the petrol versions can manage (at least over a short distance).

As for safety, the Cayenne Electric is as well equipped as you should expect a car at this price to be. There are all the features that have become the norm, including speed limit warning, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, etc.

But it’s not the fact that it has all the safety features that’s impressive, it’s the level of calibration. Yes, the speed limit warning will go off if you speed, but generally the other safety systems were very well-behaved and understated during our drive.

However, the only caveat with that is our drive was almost entirely in regional areas, so we should reserve final and definitive judgement until we get it into the urban environment. 

As for its safety rating, the Cayenne was crash tested by Euro NCAP in December 2025 and awarded a maximum five-star score. It is unlikely ANCAP will crash test such an expensive model here, so expect the same rating to carry over barring something unusual.

Like many electric cars, the warranty on the EQS is twofold. Firstly, there is the whole vehicle warranty, which from Mercedes-Benz is five years and unlimited kilometres, but the high-voltage battery is covered by a separate, and quite healthy, ten-year, 250,000km promise.

Benz throws in a three-year subscription to ChargeFox, offering owners free charging for the duration (to give you an idea, it cost me about $30 to charge the EQS to nearly full from 20 or so per cent).

Service intervals are surprisingly standard, at 12 months and 15,000km, and the EQS’ pre-paid service program is $1750 for three years, $2750 for four years, or $3250 for five-years, working out to about $650 a year. Far from the cheapest we’ve seen for an EV, but chump change for owners considering the up-front cost of this vehicle.

The Cayenne Electric is covered by Porsche’s usual three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, and the battery gets eight years of coverage.

Both of these are fairly standard by historical terms, but with so many luxury brands - including Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz - all now offering five years of coverage, it does leave Porsche lagging behind.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, which is standard for an internal combustion engine vehicle.

Porsche doesn’t offer capped-price servicing, so prices may vary from dealer to dealer. However, the brand does sell a special EV-focused ‘Porsche Scheduled Maintenance Plan’ that costs $1995 for three years, $3695 for four years and $3995 for five years of servicing.