Maybach's all-electric EQS SUV arrives to energize Korea's car scene

Mathias Vaitl, far right, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea, Daniel Lescow, center, head of Mercedes-Maybach at Mercedes-Benz Group, and Kilian Thelen, vice president of product, marketing, and digital business at Mercedes-Benz Korea, pose for a photo with the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV during a media event Thursday in eastern Seoul. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA] The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, the first-ever all-electric car from the ultraluxury marque, finally arrived in Korea on Thursday with a slightly lighter price tag while maintaining all the elegant details. Based on the Mercedes-Benz EQS that was launched in 2022, the premium model boasts a luxurious and sleeker body with the iconic Maybach emblem, a more upright grille and signature dual-tone paintwork offered as an option. Related Article[WHY] From Lamborghini to Rolls-Royce: Koreans' craze for supercarsMercedes to take back the throne with E-Class, Maybach showroom The rounded exterior fitted with a longer roofline and high waistline offers a muscular appearance — a point Mercedes markets as the car was developed based on Karl Maybach’s enduring philosophy of “What is good must also be beautiful.” The Mercedes-Maybach Night Series displayed in eastern Seoul. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA] "The Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is a combination of top tech, comfort, luxury and quietness, which offers incomparable design and powerful driving to satisfy our Korean customers," said Daniel Lescow, head of Mercedes-Maybach at Mercedes-Benz Group during a media event Thursday in eastern Seoul. "Korea is a key market for Maybach, and we kept all the Maybach-exclusive details in this car." The country is the elite brand's second-largest market in the world, beating the United States and even its home turf of Germany, selling 2,596 cars last year alone, up 32 percent on year. Massage chairs are offered in both the front and rear seats, which can recline up to 43.5 degrees. In the four-seat option, the center console between the rear seats can contain a refrigerator with Champagne glasses to "create a luxurious lounge" inside the vehicle. The Maybach EQS also offers powerful driving with the ability to go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 4.4 seconds. It can run 471 kilometers (293 miles) on a single charge, according to Korea's Ministry of Environment, though it still is waiting for verification from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The sticker price starts at 225 million won ($162,000) in Korea — slightly lighter than the U.S. price of $181,050 and the British price of 200,860 pounds ($259,000). Deliveries start in August. Mercedes plans to open the world's very first Maybach brand center in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in mid-2025. It was originally scheduled to open this year but has been delayed due to construction issues. BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]