Maybach gets first EV with EQS SUV

SHANGHAI — Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the first full-electric model from its Maybach ultraluxury subbrand, the EQS SUV, as Mercedes emphasizes sales of high-end models.

The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV debuts at the Shanghai auto show this week. China accounts for about half of all Maybach sales, Mercedes says.

The car is a reworked version of the Mercedes EQS SUV with more luxurious materials. It will join Maybach versions of the S-Class sedan and GLS large SUV.

“We are completely redefining the SUV luxury of the future,” Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius said in a statement.

Mercedes sold 23,400 Maybach models last year, up 41 percent from the year before. In the first quarter of this year, the group’s top-end segment, which includes AMG, Maybach and G-Class models, grew by 18 percent, reaching 91,800 units for the period. Overall group sales were up by just 3 percent.

Other luxury brands are planning or launching their first full-electric vehicles. The Rolls-Royce Spectre coupe will debut late this year. Bentley says it will launch its first EV in 2026.

The Maybach version of EQS SUV will be built alongside the regular EQS at Mercedes’ U.S. plant in Vance, Alabama.