Absolute attention to detail – this is a key message we took away from the recent digital premiere of the brand-new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
Wilhelm Maybach was an incredibly talented engineer and a perfection-oriented driving force in the early days of the Daimler / Mercedes enterprise. The cars bearing his name were as exquisite as they were limited in numbers; both those qualities are intended to continue with this all-new Maybach model.
Based on the recently-released W or V 223 S-Class, this large luxury limousine is 18cm longer than its donor. The extra length is – quite understandably – for the benefit of the rear passengers. Although its predecessor was also based on the already accomplished Mercedes S-Class platform, there are a few novelties to this Z223 model.
For starters, the synergy with Mercedes has grown a little deeper so that now you’ll find the marque’s three-pointed star on this Maybach’s shiny brow. As before, there is an option to have the vehicle painted in exclusive two-tone paint schemes. These accentuate the rear (c-pillar) quarterlight window and illuminated Maybach logo.
There’s a lot of amazing new technology in the new S-Class which automatically wanders into this super-luxurious limousine and we’ll quickly name just a few highlights: autonomous driving, digital headlights with sign/warning projection capability, active ride comfort and noise suppression, 18 airbags, 4-wheel steering and next-gen MBUX digital user interface.
So if everything is adaptive, intelligent, automated and honed towards luxurious comfort, what makes the Maybach even more special? Although it seemed like an impossible task, apparently the development team revelled in the challenge and came up with some truly jaw-dropping goodies for this range-topping beauty.
For starters, the rear doors are extra-large but super-easy to operate. Besides a soft/self-closing mechanism, they can also recognise and obey hand gestures (like those foot swipe-operated tailgates) from the outside or inside of the cabin. And how do intelligent reading lights sound? That’s right, they will adapt to your movements and reading matter.
Obviously each passenger is cocooned in the finest leather with noise-insulated everything, highly advanced climate control and roughly 250 LED’s to set the mood. Depending on the model or options chosen, you can also recline in one of the Executive Seats while enjoying rear entertainment, a massage plus a glass of champagne from the fridge.
Does that sound like pure opulence and stylish luxury? Good, because that’s what its manufacturers were aiming for. Our local Mercedes-Benz dealer in Windhoek confirmed that the Maybach will be available to order in parallel with the GLS (luxury SUV) Maybach model.