Five seconds - think about the last time you saw someone sticker up the bright, half-nibbled apple on the lid of a Space Gray Macbook. Just like you, I’ve never seen one either.

Cars are their own statements too. It's why you have loyalists, and why hitting the first customer straight to heart is very important. So in today's royal rumble of EV SUVs, where does the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4Matic+ stand?

EQS 580 4Matic+ specs in Malaysia

We’ll just call it the EQS SUV for short. Imported from the United States (CBU, Alabama plant), it starts from RM 699,888 in Malaysia and it sits right at the top of the pricing totem pole when it comes to battery electric (BEV) SUVs here – second only to the RM 800k-and up Lotus Eletre.

To compare, the locally-assembled (CKD Kulim, Kedah) EQS Sedan 500 4Matic goes for RM 648,888.

There’s loads you’ll get from the price of admission; including the bragging rights of driving Mercedes’ most-powerful non-AMG electric model, courtesy of a 544 PS/858 Nm dual-motor setup (all-wheel drive). It’s no BMW iX M60 with its frankly stupendous 619 PS/1,100 Nm, and perhaps it’s all the better for it really.

Range is rated for 615 km (WLTP) through its 108.4 kWh lithium-ion battery, and on paper that’s further than the 561 km of the iX M60, or the 600 km of the Eletre. Charging is pretty quick; it takes in 22 kW AC charging, or up to 200 kW DC fast charging that’ll see it gain an extra 250 km of range in 15 minutes; things which are absolutely welcome when planning on long-haulers.

Kit count is just as rich as the standard EQS sedan, and underneath the slippery bodywork there’s things like the massive 141 cm three-display Hyperscreen (standard item for us, optional in most parts of the world), rear seat entertainment, and a full suite of ADAS.

Also read: From RM 699k, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV launched in Malaysia, 544 PS/858 Nm, 7 seats

If you didn’t already know Malaysia’s EQS SUV is the seven-seater variety too – the last row may not see much use, but we appreciate the flexibility.

Right, that’s the details then, so with everything in place it’s time to drive.

Driving the EQS SUV

Slickly comes the retractable door handles to welcome us in a cabin that’s harmonious in experience to other modern Benzes: if you've been in current Mercs', it's all very pleasantly familiar. Still, it manages to be quite special with the aforementioned screens and cool mix of leather and real wood within.

We're also fans of the Nappa-leather-trimmed steering wheel. It’s just right sized and always feels natural within the palms. Buttons were easy to reach too when it comes to utilising the driver aids along the way.

The plan is rendezvous at a hotel in Penang, and from our meetup point in PJ, there’s about 360 km to cover. Waze estimates a four hour drive, and with nearly a full charge (97%, or about 580 km - some allowance is made for the car’s preparation and the earlier driver’s driving habits) we hit the road.

Town-driving mannerisms is as posh as you’d expect a Sonderklasse (or a derivative of it in this case) to be, with the standard Airmatic air suspension concealing bumps and ridges with aplomb. Of course, the virtually pindrop-silent cabin helps in bumping up that solid perceived quality.

Four-wheel steering proved helpful (certainy more than welcome in super tight Penang) in snipping the 5.1-metre-long behemoth’s turning radius by quite a margin, making roundabouts and parking easier than a car this big generally ought to.

Also read: To keep noise out, this USA-made Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV has a sedan's sealed boot

The electric motors give one plenty of jolt out of junctions and away from the lights, and when we hit the highway there’s even more to uncork! We left it in ‘Comfort’ - as we imagine most would do - and there was plenty of shove along the North-South Expressway.

One small complaint from this brief drive would be about the suspension setup. For the details, the EQS SUV’s suspension uses a four-link set up at the front and multi-link rear, with Mercedes’ AirMatic air springs and variable damping control as standard.

It levels itself at speed, lowering itself by 10 mm in Comfort mode and 15 mm in Sport to optimise aero efficiency. Leaving it in Comfort makes it all feel a little too floaty and numb, but switching to Sport trims the ride’s pockmark-eliminating edge a little bit. So we couldn’t really settle on one particular setting for the drive, though we felt it responded better in Sport.

Brakes are a bit of a pain point as well, sort of feeling like it doesn’t have that extra 10% it needs to really feel like it chomps down on the discs. I mean, it has to contend with around three tonnes at speed, and in its current state it feels like it lacks a bit of stopping power.

Beyond that – and pending our full, in depth instrumented review – the EQS SUV impresses. The creature comforts, such as adaptive cruise control, and splendid Burmester audio system, are certainly welcome for a car of this stature in making for a lovely cruising experience.

By virtue of having such a large battery and smart software our drive to Penang was uninterrupted by charge stops, with about 13% of battery to spare. No hypermiling needed.

Verdict

Granted, the battery capacity of the EQS SUV makes for a relatively comfortable drive to the island, but we note cars with smaller battery packs won't be able to make the drive without stopping. Hell with just 70 km left in the proverbial tank, owners of the EQS SUV will also have to scramble for a charger, and hope things work well once they are there.

But that's a discussion for another time, although it's one we've talked about before. If anything, it proves that the manufacturers are already bringing in cars that can cater to the usual Malaysian's interstate travels – the ball is in the government's court now to make sure the charging network keeps up.

Digressions aside, the easiest way to think about the EQS SUV is a bit like the Macbook Pro. Sure it all comes at a bit of a cost, yet it makes it easy for the buyer – in this car's case, it works its magic in offering refinement, rich specs, and a classy on-board experience in one package.

And it's an electric Mercedes-Benz with an S tacked on to it. That's quite a statement on its own.

Stay tuned for our full instrumented review for a more in-depth experience.