Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday unveiled its new EQS SUV, the first fully electric SUV to be built domestically for the US market.
The vehicle is a sibling of the EQS sedan released last year, but with a seating capacity of up to seven people and a tall, bubbly stand. According to Mercedes-Benz, it is expected to rival the Tesla Model X and the BMW iX.
Like the sedan, the EQS SUV has a tech-savvy interior with three screens covering almost the entire instrument panel. The curtains are covered on a single 56-inch curved glass surface, one of which is a passenger screen that is invisible to the driver.
“With luxury EQS sedans and sporty executive EQE sedans, Mercedes-Benz has entered a new, all-electric era in the top market segments,” the company said in a statement.
The SUV will go into production at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in the coming months and will arrive in the US showroom in late 2022, the company said. The US production is part of the German automaker’s plans to build eight new all-electric vehicles in seven locations across three continents.
Mercedes-Benz has not announced a price for the EQS SUV, but it is expected to go up to $ 100,000. EQS sedan models start at approximately 102,000 and $ 126,000.
The EQS SUV, like the sedan, will initially be offered in two models, including the “580 4MATIC” version with two electric motors capable of 536 horsepower and 633 pound-feet of torque.
Mercedes-Benz has not released the expected electric range of the EQS SUV for the US, but the sedan version can reach up to 350 miles on a single charge. According to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EQS SUV is equipped with a number of safety and comfort features, including Mercedes-Benz’s latest driver-assist system that can control vehicle parts such as acceleration and braking when enabled.
Like the sedan, the EQS SUV has its own optional air-freshener scent, which has “no. 6 Mood Mimosa. ” Mercedes-Benz says it’s an “earthy scent with a touch of sensuality” designed specifically for vehicles.