Handelsblatt reported that Mercedes-Benz has abandoned what was supposed to be a half sedan, half SUV. The idea was to combine the two most popular body types in China to create a new segment dubbed Sport Utility Sedan (SUS).
Three insiders quoted by Handelsblatt say the project has either been abandoned or put on hold indefinitely. The decision was made several months ago, meaning that the production version will not see the light of day, despite the fact that the previous plan was for the car to go on sale in China around 2025. The off-road sedan was supposed to be built on the EVA2 platform used in the EQE and EQS models.
Mercedes-Benz's official response says that development of the SUS has been put on hold because the vehicle is too complex and expensive to produce. The three-pointed star claims that there are already many electric vehicles being sold in China, covering all important segments.
Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury
To recap, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury was an electric car with 24-inch wheels and a front boot. It was four-wheel drive, and the four-motor powertrain developed 738 horsepower. The capacity of the under-floor battery pack was about 80 kWh.
Mercedes then predicted a range of more than 500 kilometres according to the now defunct (and overly optimistic) NEDC cycle. The battery supported a charging capacity of 350 kWh, and in this case five minutes was enough to top up the energy reserve for 100 kilometres.
Source: Handelsblatt
