Today’s world needs and thrives on diversification, but sometimes it is good to get back to doing what you do best. It is your strength, and it is what you are most comfortable with. For Mercedes, it is the S-Class. It is what they do best and has been doing so for so many years. Rivals are there, no doubt, but Mercedes owns this part of the sector. However, SUVs’ explosion and the changing motoring landscape have somewhat attempted to encroach on the S-Class dominance. However, the new generation model has laid rest to those claims with even more technology and even more luxury. However, this is not about the S-Class. It is about what happens when you add “Maybach” to the name. Mercedes has just pulled the covers off its newest super-luxury flagship. It is an S-Class but overflowing with the most indulgent materials along with the technological might that Mercedes can conjure up. It is an S-Class with the volume turned up to 11. Rolls Royce and Bentley, take note…
The new generation Maybach S-Class is based on the LWB S-Class but has an 18 cm longer wheelbase with new rear doors and a lot of the design changed to give the Maybach a more elegant appearance. While it may not be bursting with the sheer simplistic elegance of the new Rolls Royce Ghost or the sportiness of the Bentley Spur, the new Maybach is an automotive power dressing. It is big and svelte, along with being imposing plus not afraid to hide its intentions. It screams wealth from some angles but is not vulgar while having a stance that reeking confidence- something that Mercedes does very well. You have a different bonnet with a chromed fin and the Mercedes-Maybach radiator grille with vertical chrome pinstripes. Customers can also order a special two-tone paint with a dividing line that is applied by hand. It takes one week to finish this painting.
However, it somehow pales when compared to the interior as that is where the Maybach truly shines. The new S-Class cabin of five display screens, including the massive 12.8-inch OLED central display, remains, but the cabin is bathed in a sublime collection of materials. Some traditional Maybach elements added in, like the surrounds of the dial instruments, are in the brand color rosé gold. There is plenty of wood, metal, and leather everywhere, while the first-class rear seating is where the Maybach owner will most likely spend time plotting the next big business deal. You have a chauffeur package with executive seating (with a champagne cooler in the middle), while there is even a massage function for the calf rest as part of the Seating Comfort package. You also have neck/shoulder heating in the rear while you have active ambiance lighting and adaptive rear lighting, plus an endless array of gadgets. Oh, and you also get an automatic seat belt extender and electric closing doors!
There is the latest MBUX system, of course, while a range of rear entertainment options is there. Noise is perhaps the biggest enemy of a luxury car, and in the new Maybach, you have “Active road noise compensation,” i.e., much the same way as noise-canceling headphones. There is an Interior Assist that recognizes “numerous occupant intentions,” So basically, it will recognize eye direction, hand gestures, and the occupants’ body language.
You can cherry-pick from a range of 4.0 twin-turbo V8s or go for the range-topping 6.0 twin-turbo V12. However, the Maybach does embrace electrification of some sort, with a plug-in hybrid on offer now. Do not expect much change from $200,000 when it goes on sale next year. Should Rolls Royce and Bentley be worried? On this evidence, yes!
