Mercedes inflates its EQS saloon into a luxury electric SUV

Mercedes' electric EQS is getting a roomier offshoot and is being expanding into an SUV for a release at the turn of the year, the German manufacturer announced at the opening of a new battery factory in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, reported dpa.

This plus-sized saloon is set to be built there from the third quarter of 2022 onwards, while the electric alternative to the GLS is set to launch at the Beijing motor show in mid-April.

Mercedes has not yet named prices, but given the sedan's pricing, they're likely to start at more than 100,000 euros.

The electric SUV shares the drive system with the EQE and EQS saloons and has a 107 kWh battery for an estimated range of 600 kilometres. According to company sources, it will come with around 300 kW/408 hp as the EQS 500 and with 385 kW/524 hp as the EQS 580.

Of course, the overall size is also growing and the SUV is set to be more than 5 metres long and significantly higher than the saloon.

According to Holger Enzmann, responsible for development of the EQS family, it's more comfortable when getting in and out and has a better view thanks to 8 cm more seat height, as well as more space in the rear.

In addition, the rear seat bench can be shifted forward or back by a hand's width and the boot is large enough to fit an optional third row of seats, the engineer said on the sidelines of test drives.

However, Mercedes isn't finished spinning off new variants for the electric luxury class. The company has also announced an SUV as an offshoot of the EQE. And based on the EQS SUV, there will also be an electric Maybach for the first time in 2023.