Mercedes-Maybach unveils first all-electric model in the EQS 680 SUV, complete with its own fridge

Today, Mercedes-Maybach has unveiled the ultra-lux EQS 680 SUV – a souped-up version of the existing Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV that “combines technical perfection with Maybach exclusivity.” Aside from having more Maybach logos than we’ve ever seen integrated into a single-vehicle design, the all-electric Mercedes SUV has some truly unique, forward-thinking features, both inside and out, that you’ve got to see.

Maybach finally brings an electric to market

Mercedes-Maybach is a current sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz whose history in autos dates all the way back to the early 1900s. Through its evolution over the last century-plus, the Maybach name is one currently associated with the utmost luxury and unique design features only the most affluent of customers can unlock.

The sub-brand has gained popularity through its upscale version of the Mercedes S-Class and a couple of other combustion models but has been flirting with the idea of luxury electric vehicles since 2016. That began with the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 – a 2+2 electric coupé concept with 200 miles of range. Maybach followed up with an electric SUV concept in 2018 called the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury.

Parent company Mercedes Group has done a decent job in embracing electrification so far and is rolling out an ever-growing lineup of EQ brand EVs, including the EQE SUV we recently drove in Portugal. During that time abroad, we also got our first peek behind the curtain at the all-electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV – which was recently teased ahead of its official public debut today.

There’s a lot to explore here, so let’s start with some images and break down what makes this luxury electric Maybach truly special.

EQS SUV arrives as the first electric Mercedes-Maybach

If you’ve read about our drives in the Mercedes EQS or EQE SUVs or have experienced the tech yourself, you’re likely aware that the legacy automaker is delivering some of the best EVs in the business right now, especially in terms of their interior cockpits and passenger accommodations.

With the EQS 680, Maybach has taken Mercedes-Benz’s electric SUV architecture and taken it to another echelon inside and out. Per Ola Källenius, chair of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Group:

Mercedes-Maybach customers expect the extraordinary, and we aim to exceed their high expectations. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV unites our ambition to lead in digital and electric with our focus on the luxury segment. The very first all-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Maybach complements the best technologies from Mercedes-Benz with the extra comfort and individual details that are only available from Mercedes-Maybach.

Beginning with the exterior, you’ll notice the recognizable star hood ornament, which has been placed upright like previous combustion Mercedes models. The automaker’s EQ line has abandoned the upright ornament for the sake of aerodynamics, so this is more a nod to previous luxury designs synonymous with the Maybach name.

Moving down the hood, you’ll spy a unique radiator grille that is really more for show than function. As a result, the front end looks more like a traditional Mercedes-Maybach but with a closed-design twist for an all-electric age.

The chrome running down the grille compliments plenty of shiny trim around the SUV’s exterior, from its pillars to its handles, along its running boards, and even around the side bumper where dozens of not-so-discreet Maybach emblems can be found. When approaching the electric SUV, the driver gets their own special light show (seen above), which is complemented by an animated pattern of the Maybach emblem projected from all four doors (see below).

We tried to tally how many Maybach emblems were integrated into this electric SUV but lost count well into the thirties. There are A LOT. Also, viewing the exterior, you’ll notice the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV includes exclusive two-tone paint with an ornamental pinstripe. The designers’ shared exteriors will come in five different color combinations or can be one solid color if requested.

I made a comment about all the chrome, and one of the designers told me that Maybach was exploring a blacked-out version of the EQS 680 SUV to please younger consumers who may find all the chrome a little gaudy. No further comments from the millennial writer…

The exterior of the EQS 680 is certainly unique, but you truly don’t grasp that this electric SUV is a Maybach until you get inside. Check it out.

The interior of the EQS 680 is where Maybach truly shines

Given the two-tone paint and the decision to integrate chrome trim, the exterior of the freshly debuted electric Mercedes-Maybach SUV may not be for everyone. The interior, however, might be. Like much of the SUV’s design as a whole, Maybach has taken Mercedes’ existing technology and upgraded it.

For example, the standard MBUX Hyperscreen is present in the EV’s cockpit but has been integrated with Mercedes-Maybach-specific start-up animations on all three digital displays, in addition to an overall deep blue visual theme unique to this model. The electric SUV also has its own “Maybach” display style in addition to “understated” and “sport.”

Rear passengers each have their own 11.6-inch displays on the front seat backrests in addition to an MBUX rear tablet that can be used outside the EV. Maybach offers three different options of sustainably processed Nappa Leather tanned using vegetables throughout the interior, including the rear reclining seats that include massaging functions and a “feel-good atmosphere and cocooning effect for all senses.”

Part of that immersive experience includes Dolby Atmos sound throughout the cabin, which is a huge selling point, in my opinion. The system consists of 15 different speakers, including two 3D speakers in the headliner. The Maybach team demoed jungle sounds for us, and it genuinely felt like we were in a movie theater. To give it the true test, however, we had to blast “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, followed, of course, by “C.R.E.A.M.” by Wu-Tang Clan. The sound quality was unreal, and you could hear the vibrations from outside the SUV, just like a theater. I could have sat there for hours, vibing.

Moving on, as you’ll notice from the images above, the floating front center console, complete with wooden trim, flows back around the front seat backs and up through the rear console. That rear design also houses what else but silver-plated champagne flutes and access to a trunk fridge.

The fridge takes up a lot of space in the trunk, but the Maybach team demonstrated how easily it can be removed and stored using one hand. I’m not sure where you would keep your EV’s refrigerator when you’re not using it, but I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that issue any time soon.

Last but not least, Mercedes-Maybach has also improved the performance of the electric SUV for the new 680 version. Here are some of the specs future owners can expect to see standard on the EV:

One minor detail Mercedes-Maybach has failed to mention in regard to its ultra-lux electric SUV is pricing. Given some of its top-tier design features, we’d imagine this one is going to cost quite a bit, but we haven’t gotten those official numbers yet.

A representative for Mercedes-Benz told us pricing will be reveal closer to the launch of the electric Maybach this coming fall.

Whether you’re a fan or not, the Maybach EQS 680 SUV is certainly something to see. Be sure to check out a closer look in the video below.