Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class

The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is the absolute pinnacle of luxury of all the sedans offered by the German brand. It builds on the already very luxurious and recently launched standard S-Class with exquisite crafted materials and a whole host of customisation MANUFAKTUR options that can be curated to the customer's choice. 

It is often considered as the more affordable option to the likes of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley sedans, if that's what you can call it at Rs 3.35 crore, which is the price at which it has just been launched in India. Technically, it does not have any direct rivals, but it can be considered as a premium alternative to the BMW 7 Series. Let's take a look at what it's all about.

The Maybach S-Class looks like the standard S-Class, but with a sense of attitude of supremacy. The overall shape and silhouette of the sedan remains the same, but there have been tweaks to the elements inside that shape and of course the detailing as well. 

Up front, it gets a much bolder grille with vertical slats running across it, which add a sense of domination in the design. Just like the standard version, this grille also gets an illuminated surround. But if the grill isn't a big enough differentiating factor, the border also gets an illuminated Maybach wordmark, which makes sure that you don't mistake it for the standard saloon. Aiding that surety are the gazillion Maybach logos that you get in the air dams of the bumper. 

These bold details apart, there are some intricate styling elements as well. For example, the headlights, which continue to get the star-shaped LED motifs, but have tiny Rose Gold plaques with the Maybach logo on them. The Mercedes logo sitting on top of the bonnet remains the same, but the bonnet itself now gets a chrome strip running across the centre, which adds some drama to its design. 

And as far as drama goes, there's a lot of it in profile because the Maybach is longer than the standard S-Class with an additional wheelbase that aids into the space inside the cabin. On top of that, it sits on new 20-inch alloy wheels which look really chic and the self centering Mercedes centre cap feels special. International models get the option of bigger 21-inch wheels.

The Maybach logo sits behind the rear C-pillar, and you continue to get chrome accents around the door handles and window sills. The door handles sit flush with the car and pop out whenever you unlock them, and also have illumination in them. 

The rear continues to sport a simple design with three-piece LED tail lights with the star-shaped design but with a revised bumper which makes use of more chrome. The variant badging sits on the top right, while the Maybach wordmark sits on the left. 

Not only do customers get the choice of choosing from over 150 exterior shades, you can also use the MANUFAKTUR program to customise the colours even further, along with the dual tone treatment that you see in the pictures here. 

Just like the exterior, once again, the Maybach S-Class builds on the standard S-class’ layout and design, but with endless possibilities with the help of the MANUFAKTUR program that brings in bespoke customization options including leather options, inserts, stitches and interior themes. 

The dashboard continues to be dominated by Mercedes’ Superscreen setup, which includes individual screens for the driver, the central infotainment display and one dedicated display for the front passenger.

It gets the three-spoke Mercedes steering wheel with a dual-tone finish, and there’s a lot of rich contrast throughout the cabin with different textures and finishes with wood inlays in the central console and door trims. At night, the entire cabin experience is further elevated by exquisite use of ambient lighting which runs across the dashboard, into the door, trims around the speaker surrounds and even in cup holders and seat belt buckle surrounds.

The quality of material is top-notch with really soft-touch leather all around. But if you are animal conscious, Mercedes for the first time ever with the Maybach S-Class, now offers the option of an animal-free or leather-free interior, which makes use of man made leather with polyester and other materials.

Rear Seats

The India-spec Maybach S-Class comes exclusively with the First-Class rear seat compartment with only two seats. But the experience is really true to the marketing name because It genuinely feels like a lounge. Everything from the seat shape, upholstery, the amount of cushions, and the range of adjustments on offer has been engineered for maximum comfort. 

The seats get heating, ventilation, a massaging function, and every adjustment is powered. You can push the front passenger seat ahead with the touch of a button, which also uplifts the support for your calf and feet, effectively giving you almost a suspended seating position. 

Both the passengers get individual screens that also get individual controls in the armrest for you to operate in case the front seat is way too ahead for you to use the touchscreen itself. This system can be used to attend meetings or just watch some entertainment on the go. The armrest also stores trays underneath it, which can be popped up and used to put some snacks on, or just your laptop for working. 

There is a single wireless phone charger in the middle, below which are two temperature controlled cup holders. The rear seat occupants also get buttons on the roof which can be used to open and close the rear doors automatically.

When you are in the realm of the Maybach, there is literally no feature that you can think of which will be given a miss here. 

It is a luxury saloon that's high on tech with three screens at the front which comprise: a 14.4-inch central touchscreen, a 12.3-inch passenger-side display and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. The new display system runs on Mercedes-Benz’s latest MB.OS software architecture. It also gets a head-up display with augmented reality. 

Then there are the two individual 13.6-inch rear screens, which can also be controlled by the tablets in the rear central console. You can pair them with individual headphones that come as standard with the car, but if you want to experience the Burmester sound system, you can do so with the 31 speakers that provide you with 1,610 W of output and Dolby Atmos support. 

Other feel-good features include two individual sunroofs above, powered rear sun shades, all powered seats with ventilation, heating and massaging, multicolor ambient lighting, soft closing and automatic rear doors, and a power tailgate.

Just like the S-Class, the Maybach S-Class gets the most airbags for any car in India with 15 airbags for protection. 

It also gets ADAS features with a host of cameras and radars (front, side and rear). In fact, Mercedes says that the car is ready for full self-driving, but that is something that is not possible on Indian roads (and not legal either).

For India, Mercedes has offered a collapsible spare wheel that goes above the floorboard of the boot. Without the spare wheel, you have plenty of space to store multiple suitcases and duffel bags for your long vacations.

The India-spec Maybach S-Class comes in the 580 E variant, which makes use of a six-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain. It produces more output than the standard S-Class, but has the same efficiency benefits thanks to the plug-in hybrid. 

Thanks to the hybrid powertrain, the Maybach S-Class has an electric only claim range of 100 kilometres (WLTP). In its all electric version, it has a top speed of 140kmph. It supports DC fast charging of up to 60 kW and 11kW home charger is offered as complimentary. 

For tuning the ride comfort and handling as per preference, it gets air suspension as standard and it also has a 10-degree rear axle steering.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is already a benchmark when it comes to luxury sedans in India, and the Maybach just pushes that benchmark even higher. The Maybach branding and the treatment doesn't just give you a better, more luxurious car, but it also commands more respect and awe.

It is a car that’s meant to be enjoyed by chauffeuring around in the 2nd row because it truly feels like a lounge on wheels. But more so than the luxury, the Maybach S-Class is a statement that tells the world that you’ve made it in life, while making sure to drown you in sheer comfort and style while making that statement.