How does this all-electric big Benz SUV fare as the big car for someone’s big day?

Disclaimer: This review here isn’t exactly going to be the most normal out there of the Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV. 

Such is because this writer had borrowed this Benz with the primary purpose of serving as a wedding car for a close family relation, and thus this piece instead aims to offer just some insight as to how the flagship EV of the three pointed star’s fare in being the big car for someone’s big day. 

For The Couple

Starting first with some notes on what the EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is like within for the stars of the show that day, and it has to be said that this big Merc’s cabin does certainly have that properly premium upmarket feel befitting of the three pointed star on its nose. 

Everything that the eye can see and the hand can touch within the EQS SUV expectedly feels as expensive as it should in a Mercedes Benz with an S in its model name. From the supple black-brown Nappa leather upholstery to the gorgeous open-pore magnolia wood trim, the whole cabin really just exudes the sense of opulent luxury. 

And this feeling of luxurious opulence is to further be helped along by the pillowy headrests featured on both the front and rear seats, not to mention too the standard (living room-style) throw pillows that come included with this EQS SUV. The individual 11.6-inch touchscreens for the rear occupants also added to the first class feel (in addition to providing a nice distraction for the groom to calm his jitters). 

Though while it may have more screens in the cabin than could be counted on one hand (there is also a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the front passenger too), this EQS SUV was lacking in a few luxury features that would typically expected in the back of an S-badged model from Mercedes Benz, and here are just some of them that were conspicuous in their absence: 

• Side window blinds (to provide some added privacy for the happy couple)
• Ventilation function for the rear seats (to cool the groom’s sweaty nerves) 
• Massaging function for the rear seats (just because it is a luxury car)

Aside from the centre seat that transforms into a substantial rear armrest as well, the second row chairs in this big Benz is really not all that different to any other SUV. While no one can fault its luxurious-ness, it is however also true that perhaps sitting behind in a proper S-Class sedan, or even in a Toyota Alphard’s second row captain chairs, will offer a greater sense of special-ness. 

In spite of this EQS SUV being such a huge car too, the amount of space, particularly in the rear, is just adequate only. A fully flat floor and an expansive panoramic sunroof certainly helps in providing perception that the EQS SUV is bigger behind than it is, but this image is soon shattered when anyone even reasonably tall attempts to properly stretch out in the second row, and realises that the front seats are not really all that far away…

If for instance the ring bearer demands to sit in the car as well, juggling space for even their skinniest and shortest of legs requires the middle row to sacrifice a bit more of its own already sub-par leg room (especially for such a big car). Mercedes however seems to solve this problem by making sure no one sits at the rear most row in the first place, because the EQS SUV’s floaty ride saw that everyone who got in the third row feeling some degree of carsick after just a short time behind. 

For The Chauffeur

Now as for how was the experience like up the other end of the vehicle, this writer here can attest that the EQS 450 4MATIC SUV is indeed to be quite the speedy yet serene wedding car. 

Despite this example tested of EQS SUV tested here being only the 450 variant (an even higher-powered 580 spec is available), the 360 PS and 800 Nm of instant electric torque output by its twin motors could still see for this 3.5-tonne behemoth to be boogie off the line like a hot hatch. Keep the pedal pinned to its plush carpets too and it’ll continue effortlessly pile on the km/h, to a figure that can’t be stated on the record without risking any legal repercussions. 

Though perhaps even more impressive (but not less expected) than how the EQS SUV gets up to speed is for its cabin to still remain a tranquil oasis, even when the speedo is deep into the triple digits. This therefore allowed for Kenny G (or more accurately Jackie Cheung in this writer’s use case here) to sweetly serenade the happy couple sitting behind, through its 15 Burmester speakers without much interference from any road or wind noise, while the chauffeur up front easily flies past all the other guests who left earlier from church to the lunch venue. 

And while on the topic of hustling this big Benz around town meanwhile, it is not like this EQS SUV is just a straight-line speedster too. Its standard Airmatic air suspension and decently-weighted steering provides sufficient confidence for its helmsman to carry a decent amount of speed through the faster sweeping bends, while its similarly-standard rear wheel steering surprisingly makes this behemoth more manoeuvrable around the tighter corners than its gargantuan size might suggest.

It has to be said though that the keyword to this big Benz’s manoeuvrability is indeed ‘surprising’, as the EQS SUV, at least to this writer, certainly felt as big to drive as it actually is. 

The big-ness, or more accurately unwieldiness, of this Benz felt to drive could largely be attributed to how surprisingly poor the view out of it was. 

Its sleek shape has unfortunately caused the EQS SUV’s windscreen to be somewhat shallower than the other comparable big boxes on wheels, which in turn denies it the commanding upright driving position that really aids in making these ginormous vehicles halfway easy to drive on the road. Its sloped bonnet too further hinders matters with regards to manoeuvrability, as it adds to the difficulty of accurately judging the frontal extremities of this bulbous behemoth. 

Add to that a set of thick A-pillars that are somehow always just in the way of seeing where a corner curb is, and the poor chauffeur at the helm of this EQS SUV essentially drives or dies this EQS SUV on its surround view camera (which is not the best by the way), its multitude of over-eager proximity sensors, and of course an abundance of caution. 

Oh, and thanks to a similarly-shallow rear window too, visibility through the rear view mirror when all the seats up is just filled with heads/headrests. Driving the EQS SUV while fully laden therefore is virtually like driving a van with no rear window.  

One final minor critique here on the way this EQS SUV drives that is perhaps only applicable on this 1,000 km test car here is that its brakes tended to judder on certain occasions. This writer unfortunately could not exactly pin-point when or how, but it just felt like an overeager ABS system. 

For The Grand Entrance

Finally onto the perhaps the most important aspect of a wedding car, let’s touch a little bit on how this EQS SUV fared when it comes to making a grand entrance on the big day. 

And let’s just be honest here by stating that the EQS SUV is admittedly not the most handsome thing in the world. A tad harsh it might be but (to this writer’s eyes at least) the whole EQ lineup of Mercedes-Benzes look like misshapen bars of soap. 

Though while the way it looks may be marmite, it is nevertheless undeniable that this big Benz certainly has an imposing presence. The EQS SUV really does make the most literal of grand entrances for anyone in it, simply from it being the largest car anywhere it goes. 

At the end of the day too, the gigantic three pointed star on its nose still very much makes a statement of special-ness saying the stars of the day have really arrived, as this big Benz silently wafts into the church courtyard! And that’s pretty much mission accomplished for a wedding car, don’t you think?  

Odds & Ends

• The button to open the central tunnel storage compartment is just inches away from the start stop button. At least the car lets you know it takes 3 presses of the start stop button to turn the vehicle off while it is in motion, if say you accidentally press the wrong button while grabbing for a SmartTag stored in the compartment. 

• Much like a hybrid Honda, the EQS SUV has paddles that control the regenerative braking. One tug on the left paddle engages max regen, which is essentially becomes one pedal driving. One tug on the right meanwhile cuts regen to zero, and somehow seems to add another 50 hp boost to how the Merc drives. 

• The % power dial on the digital driver’s display is a decently interesting curio to have in place of a rev counter in an EV. Though while Mercedes-Benz might want to make comparisons here to Rolls-Royce’s own power reserve gauge, this writer is instead reminded of the same dial found in the BYD M6…

Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 4MATIC SUV Technical Specifications

Motor: Dual permanent magnet synchronous motor (AWD)

Battery Capacity: 118 kWh (NMC)

Range: 673 km (WLTP)

Max Power: 360 PS

Max Torque: 800 Nm

0-100km/h: 8.0 seconds

Top Speed: 210 km/h 

Charging Speed: 200 kW DC peak (10-80% in 31 mins), 22 kW AC (0-100% in 6 hours 15 minutes)

Price: RM 625,888