The giant electric Mercedes limousine exclusively for China

With the Mercedes electric model EQE, which will appear in mid-2022, the car manufacturer is considering developing a mix of sedan and SUV. A giant electric limousine resulting from this should therefore be built in Beijing and come onto the market exclusively for China – if the idea is really implemented.

Within the group, the possible model is called “SUS”, which should stand for “Sport Utility Sedan”. As the “Handelsblatt” reports, the EQS SUS would be higher, beefier and more spacious than a classic sedan. Due to the stepped tail, the new class of car would continue to resemble a sedan. However, since the roof line is flatter in comparison, the giant sedan would not be as bulky as an SUV.

Technically, the EQE SUS would be based on the EVA electrical platform. It would be the fifth electric car from Mercedes after the EQC, EQA, EQV and EQS models. When asked whether a Mercedes model is basically only conceivable for China, Hubertus Troska, the responsible Daimler board member, answered in a conversation with journalists: “Never say never.” But that has not yet been decided in the end.

Mercedes sees the EQE SUS as a test model that could later come onto the market outside of China – provided it is successful in the People’s Republic. Overall, however, Mercedes is still thinking about the EQE SUS in a relatively early phase. A lot could happen until 2024, and the plans could sometimes be discarded, said Troska.

SUV and sedan: Mercedes’ successful models

The fact is, however, that Mercedes’ sedan business is declining. Daimler intends to counteract this. Daimler boss Ola Källenius generally wants to focus more on models in the upper price segment and to thin out the portfolio in the lower ranges. For several years now, the group has benefited in particular from the SUV boom. The share of SUVs in total sales has increased from 27 to 49 percent since 2015. In China, however, the sedan is also very popular, which is why the Swabians are considering the station wagon with the EQE SUS.

Back in 2018, Mercedes had presented a show car at the Beijing auto show that could correspond to the station wagon model. The “Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury” is a completely new “archetype – a car that has never been seen before, announced Daimler design chief Gorden Wagener. He was enthusiastic about a raised seating position combined with a sporty look “We have created a timeless vehicle with sensuality and pure sophistication,” says Wagener.

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