First Maybach EV set for 2023 Shanghai auto show debut

Mercedes-Benz Maybach will use the 2023 Shanghai auto show in April to present its first production-bound electric vehicle.

The vehicle is based on Mercedes’ EQS SUV, and will carry the EQS 680 SUV designation.

Prototypes spotted in the wild reveal only mild visual tweaks are planned to separate Maybach’s EQS SUV from the more pedestrian Mercedes version, on the outside. One key detail will be Maybach’s signature pinstripe suit-inspired grille pattern. The same motif featured on a Maybach EQS SUV concept shown in 2021.

Being a Maybach, we can expect the EQS 680 SUV to benefit from much more upgrades in its cabin. There may even be a two-row option with a pair of individual seats up back, as opposed to the EQS SUV’s standard three-row setup.

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

The “680” in the name also points to more performance than the standard EQS SUV which tops out with 536 hp in an EQS 580 SUV grade. The battery in that grade is a 107.8-kwh unit rated by the EPA at up to 305 miles on a charge.

Full details on the Maybach EQS 680 SUV will be released in the lead up to the Shanghai auto show which starts April 17.

Since its 2014 reboot, Maybach has been positioned as a sub-brand selling more luxurious versions of existing Mercedes products, in some cases with unique bodies. There’s still a vision to launch standalone Maybachs—the last were the ill-fated 57 and 62 sedans that went out of production in 2012—and the flexibility of EV platforms certainly helps the case.