The-Mercedes-Benz-Maybach-GLS-600-Is-A-Hyper-Luxury-SUV

Mercedes Says They Have Used Somewhat Generous, Dimensions Of GLS 600 To Create As Comfortable A Driving & Passenger Experience As Possible.

By Henry Kelsall

The automotive world is full of plenty of luxury car manufacturers. We have the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley making super luxurious cars, and companies such as Lexus making luxury cars that are more available to the masses. However, one company that sometimes seems to be overlooked is that of Mercedes-Maybach, which we will refer to simply as Maybach for the rest of this feature. The company can trace its roots back to 1909, and since then has become famous for ultra-luxurious cars, as well as some crazy concepts and testbeds along the way.

One car from the brand that has gained a lot of attention is the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. It is a hyper-luxurious SUV that has pretty much set the standard now for how a luxury SUV should be, almost being in effect the German Rolls-Royce. Simply put, this is an SUV that us, and its rivals, simply can’t ignore. When brands like Bentley and Rolls-Royce are bringing out their own luxury SUVs to bolster their lineup, they are possibly now faced with some of their stiffest competition yet. The GLS 600 truly is the definition of hyper-luxury.

Airmatic Suspension

One of the quirkier features on the GLS 600 is the pretty bizarre Airmatic suspension that the car has. As Doug DeMuro brilliantly showed in a recent video review of the car, the GLS 600 bounces up and down on its Airmatic suspension. The feature is designed to allow the driver to get out of tricky off-road situations, gently bouncing the car out of sand or mud. But as DeMuro points out, It’s highly unlikely that it will be used that way.

The GLS 600 is designed to be a car in which you are chauffeured, and thus inside it is supremely quiet. That itself might somehow sound impossible because under the hood of the GLS 600 is a 4.0-liter V8 engine that develops roughly 558 hp and the engine is designed exclusively for Maybach. This, Mercedes say, should allow the car to operate discreetly and also powerfully, the quietness inside the cabin belying the fact that under the car’s hood is quite a powerful V8 engine. A luxury SUV with a V8 engine is certainly something pretty special.

Supreme Luxury Inside

Of course, this car is all about the incredibly luxurious interior. Mercedes Says That They Have Used The Somewhat Generous, Dimensions Of The GLS 600 To Create As Comfortable A Driving And Passenger Experience As Possible. The back can be used as an office and just a relaxation area, and the addition of a touchscreen display that can be hand-held in the back and control much of the car’s functionality is an incredibly unique touch. There are also displays mounted in front of the rear passengers, which are attached to the back of the driver and front passenger seats.

The interior will certainly leave you star-struck. The reclined seats come with two pillows for each seat to make things more comfortable, and they are more akin to airliner seats now car seats. There are even memory settings and controls for the rear seats for their positions, something only really found in cars from the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Upfront, there’s a hand rest on the center console to rest that hand as you scroll through the various settings. The trim and pin-striping go across the whole dashboard up front, and it certainly is incredibly classy.

A Luxury Exterior

Whilst the exterior of the car will hardly live up to the luxury of inside the Maybach, there is still plenty of luxury to be found outside the car. The grille has some fine and quite elegant lines of chrome pinstripes as a bit of a motif, and these actually widen at the upper edge and blend quite neatly into the chrome frame. This then presents the “Maybach” lettering at the top center, a pretty impressive and cool feature. There are also Maybach logos around the car such as just behind the rear windows and on the wheels as well, whilst the familiar Mercedes-Benz pointed star sits proudly at the front of the SUV.

A Statement Of Intent

Maybach was certainly in the doldrums for some years, and the ownership of the brand by Mercedes and its recent models have certainly seen an upswing in its fortunes. It is producing some of the most incredible luxury cars on the market right now, and the GLS 600 is certainly no exception. If anything, it is a statement of intent. A sign towards the usual suspects like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and potentially Lexus, on how to do luxury. Plus, with plenty of modern safety features such as Active Brake Assist and 360-degree cameras, the GLS 600 is user-friendly. It might have a high price tag, but it very much seems to be worth the asking price.

This news was originally published at Hot Cars.