The all-new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is cool and all, but frankly – it was never going to measure up to the top 1% of the 1%, no. If you’re part of that most elite few in the world, what you need is this, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which takes the luxury sedan to a whole other level.
Like all Maybachs, the new Maybach S-Class is not a car that you’re supposed to be driving, but to be driven in – as made very clear in the press release. It’s 180 mm longer than even the long wheelbase Mercedes S-Class (290 mm longer than the regular S-Class!), with all that space going to the rear seats.
But more space is not the only thing that’s going for the new Maybach. There’s also a feature called “active road noise compensation” which works similarly to your fancy headphones to suppress unwanted noise within the cabin. Mercedes-Benz says that the counter-phased audio signals generated by the systems reaches your ears in less than three milliseconds to compensate the road noise effectively.
The rear quarterlights at the C-pillars also get thicker laminated glass for added quietness, and noise-reduced tyres with foam absorbers can also be fitted on request.
Not just that – passengers in the rear seats will even have the seatbelts extended to you, which means you’ll no longer have to move from an adopted, comfortable seating position to fasten the belt – no literally, the press release states that verbatim.
With the optional comfort access doors which can be operated via any of the touch screens on board (i.e. by your chauffeur), you also won’t have to unnecessarily waste extra energy on peasanty tasks like opening or closing the doors. The mechanism was also tested extensively to ensure it’s not too loud, causing unnecessary strain on your ears.
And for the ultimate rear-seats experience, you can even specify the all-new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class with a refrigerator in-between the two seats, perfect for storing your champagne on the go. Pair that with the improved ambient lighting system with 253 individual LEDs with Maybach-exclusive colours such as rosé gold white and amethyst glow, and you have yourself a super exclusive moving lounge.
The new Maybach S-Class is fitted with Executive Seats as standard, which can be reclined to a maximum of 43.5-degrees. Should you need more space, the Chauffeur package will allow the backrest of the front passenger seat to be tilted further forward by 23-degrees.
Together with the electronically-extending leg rests of the Executive seats (with optional calf massage function) and the foot rests on the back of the front seats, you can even comfortably sleep at the rear quarters if you really want to.
Of course, there’s no use in owning a Maybach if it just looks like any other S-Class. To differentiate, the new Mercedes-Maybach gets the brand’s own signature radiator grille, light-up Maybach badges on the C-pillars, as well as exclusive chrome trims. The stunning forged monoblock alloy wheels are 20-inches in size as standard, but can be optioned to smaller 19-inch items if you prefer a little more comfort.
However, the most impressive exterior feature on the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is the extra-cost two-tone paint finish, which is painstakingly done by hand and takes an entire week to complete. The chrome fin down the middle of the bonnet is also a Maybach-exclusive, as a nod to Maybach’s pre-WW2 models.
Powertrain options underneath the hood of the new Maybach S-Class comes directly from the Mercedes-Benz S-Class portfolio. These include the S 580 4Matic which is powered by a 489 hp/700 Nm 4.0-litre biturbo V8, as well as the S 650 4Matic and S 680 4Matic which gets the beefier 6.0-litre biturbo V12, pushing out 630 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque – more engine options are available depending on region.
Just like the regular S-Classes, the Maybach S 580 also benefits from the 48V EQ Boost mild-hybrid system, which provides additional power assistance of up to 20 hp and 180 Nm when required, while the improved integrated starter-generator ensures a smoother start-stop experience.
The all-new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class also comes with all of the fancy new driving technologies on the regular S-Class, including the E-Active Body Control active suspension with active roll stabilisation, extended rear-wheel steering, as well as level-3 autonomous driving capabilities – although these probably wouldn’t affect your buying decision since you’ll be seated at the rear seats anyway. In case of accidents, the rear passengers are protected by the world’s-first rear passenger frontal airbags.
GALLERY
