The improvement of Mercedes? Mercedes-Maybach. Based on the new S-Class, the Stuttgart-based company has once again put a luxury sedan on its wheels that will make you wonder.
Even the marketing strategists at Mercedes probably didn't think that luxury is going so well worldwide. Every seventh S-Class that rolls out of the assembly hall in Sindelfingen now bears the Maybach emblem, the double M, which stands for Mercedes-Maybach. In the year before Corona, i.e. 2019, there were over 12.000 units, around 60.000 since the market launch in 2015. By far the most Maybach went to China, Russia, the USA and - who would have thought that? - to South Korea. Small statistics on the side: the average Maybach household has five vehicles in the garage. And in China, the German luxury sedan is the first car in life for some buyers. Sometimes you are not even 30 years old.
Typical two-tone paintwork remains
The whole thing should play out in a very similar way with the new generation of the Mercedes-Maybach sedan. Reason: It embodies even more prestige and presence than the previous model. Especially when the customer opts for the extremely elaborate two-tone paintwork, which costs 12.500 euros and which takes almost a week to set up. But even so, the Maybach version differs quite significantly from the normal S-Class.
The side window graphic with the wider chrome surround and the additional triangular window on the C-pillar is striking. Because the Maybach stretches out compared to the S-Class with the longer wheelbase by another 18 centimeters and thus comes to a height of 5,47 meters. Average parking garages should be clearly declared hostile territory, even if the limousine has an optional rear-axle steering. But in these circles the chauffeur is waiting in front of the shop anyway - or driving around the block.
Pure luxury inside
The Mercedes-Maybach gets further independence from its special bumpers, the other bonnet, which raises the grill with its fine, vertical chrome pinstripes 2 centimeters higher - and the huge, 23-inch wheels, also in their own design. Not to forget: the illuminated brand emblem, which is only allowed in China and the USA.
However, the greater staging of luxury takes place in the interior of the Stuttgart flagship. There is first class on wheels here. It's amazing what the developers have come up with in order to meet even the most extraordinary demands of the customer. Noble wood and the finest leather, of course, that is what other luxury cars offer too. But who thinks of a massage function for the calves when it comes to the rear seats? Or shoulder and neck heating for the passenger (usually the owner) in the back seat? For the first time, there is now an automatic belt feeder at the rear that politely prompts you to buckle up. It is integrated in the adjustable backrest and is therefore always in exactly the right position.
High tech everywhere
The adaptive rear lighting is also premiering in the Mercedes-Maybach. The light color (cold / warm) and the separation between precise work and relaxed lounge light can be selected. And if the rear passenger wants to take part in the MBUX infotainment and operating system, which runs via the high-tech command center at the front, they can either do so via the screen behind the front seat or via a removable tablet on the center armrest. There are also two champagne glasses stored there for relaxation. The sparkling cold drink comes from the refrigerator in the trunk and is accessed through the hatch in the backrest.
Power and luxury combined
With so many amenities, the drive of the Mercedes-Maybach almost fades into the background. In the base (S 580) for 164.500 euros, the sedan drives a more than 500 hp mild hybrid eight-cylinder biturbo from AMG, as befits its standing. It goes without saying that this alone achieves superior driving performance, paired with incredible comfort and fascinating suppleness. Because the Mercedes-Maybach is equipped with air suspension as standard, which can individually regulate the spring and damper forces on each wheel. The chassis receives its information, among other things, from a front camera that scans the road surface in front of the car. Active noise suppression ensures additional travel comfort. It runs via the microphones of the hands-free system and via sound sensors on the wheels. Low-frequency noises are then eliminated within three milliseconds using anti-phase sound waves. It's quiet in the Maybach, you can't get any more peace and quiet.
Anyone who invests a little more than 50.000 euros has the type designation S 680 on the trunk lid and twelve low-vibration cylinders whisper under the hood at the front. Welcome to the supreme discipline of engine construction. Mercedes is one of the last car manufacturers who still have such a fine unit on offer. The V12 with its 612 hp and 900 Newton meters of torque is not really necessary, but the Stuttgart strategists know only too well that customers buy this top-of-the-range engine for reasons of prestige. But the Maybach owner actually does that anyway.
Technical data
Four-door, four-seat luxury sedan; Length: 5,47 meters, width: 1,92 meters, height: 1,51 meters, wheelbase: 3,40 meters, trunk volume: 505 liters
S 580 4Matic: 4,0-liter eight-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, 370 kW / 503 PS, maximum torque: 700 Nm at 2.000 - 4.500 rpm, 9-speed automatic, all-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 4,8, 250 s, Vmax: 10,2 km / h (regulated), standard consumption: 100 liters / 2 kilometers (WLTP), CO233 emissions: 6 g / km (WLTP), emissions standard: Euro 164.500d, efficiency class: n / a, price: from XNUMX euros
S 680 4Matic: 6,0 liter twelve-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, 450 kW / 612 PS, maximum torque: 900 Nm at 2.000 - 4.000 rpm, 9-speed automatic, all-wheel drive, 0-100 km / h: 4,5 s , Vmax: 250 km / h (regulated), standard consumption: 13,3 liters / 100 kilometers (WLTP), CO2 emissions: 305 g / km (WLTP), emissions standard: Euro 6d, efficiency class: n / a, price: from 217.323 euros
In brief
Why: because the Maybach represents the highest level of automotive locomotion
Why not: because even a normal S-Class actually fulfills all wishes
What else: Bentley Flying Spur
When does he come: in July
