Mercedes introduces three premium SUVs on two continents
Luxury and power is the focus for Mercedes with its new SUVs
Mercedes landed a one-two-three punch in the premium SUV market last week. The most highly anticipated launch, the Mercedes-Maybach SUV was rumoured for a Los Angeles debut. Instead, it was introduced at the Guangzhou auto show.
The Maybach is an ultra-premium version of the Mercedes flagship SUV, the GLS. Its arrival has long been awaited, and rumours of its introduction have circulated for years. It will complement the Mercedes-Maybach S class sedan (interestingly, shown at Los Angeles), which has a strong following in China, where one in seven S class sedans sold are Maybachs. Mercedes are hoping to extend this success to the SUV segment.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 brings an unprecedented amount of luxury appointments to the GLS family. The exterior is distinguished from the standard GLS with Maybach’s Panamericana grille, an abundance of chrome trim, especially at the B-pillars, and the Maybach emblems on the D-pillars. Two-tone paint is available at additional cost.
The interior is, as expected, palatial, with long running board that automatically extend when a door is opened. Once inside there is a luxury suite of technological features awaiting the driver and passengers.
Because a Maybach is sold to class of buyer that will probably employ a driver, so the real luxury is in the back with two captain chairs that are heated, cooled, massages and can recline with footrests that extend for ultimate comfort. These take the place of second and third row seats. These seats feature their own infotainment with wireless headphones, folding tables, wireless device chargers, and yes, heated and cooled cupholders. In case hauling a family is a must, there is a bench seat available to create five-seat luxury.
The Mercedes-Maybach doesn’t skimp on power either. A twin-turbocharged 4.0- liter V8 engine, augmented with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, produces a total of 558 horsepower.
It also produced some 538 lb.-ft. of torque. It has a nine-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic four wheel drive. Mercedes is claiming a zero-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 will be made at Mercedes Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plant. No word as to how this will affect prices, given the U.S. – China trade dispute, but when released in America later next year, the price could be around $200,000 (£160,000).
Naturally, the Mercedes-Maybach will compete against other ultra-premium SUVs, including the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls Royce Cullinan. It may also cut into the market for Aston-Martin’s new DBX, and the Lamborghini Urus.
The day before the Mercedes-Maybach launch, Mercedes introduced two high-powered SUVs in Los Angeles, the AMG GLS 63S, and the AMG GLE 63S. The AMG in the name pretty much tells you what to expect.
The engine on the GLS is the AMG 4.0 litre V8, twin turbocharged to deliver 603 horsepower. An additional small burst of horsepower and torque comes from the 48 volt electrical system that also powers the Active Ride Control system. The GLS AMG accelerates from zero to sixty mph in an estimated 4.1 seconds. Top speed is estimated at 174 mph.
Yes, there a number of 600+ horsepower cars on the market, but none of them carries seven passengers in luxury comfort. AMG specific seats are installed up front, and both, along with the second row are heated and cooled. If absolutely required, heating can be ordered for the third row as well.
The trio of high end luxury/performance SUVs gives the Mercedes and Mercedes/Maybach buyer a nice range of performance/ luxury or luxury/performance to choose from. As for its design, Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Daimler AG, references the concept of ’Sensual Purity’ in the press release:
“The Mercedes-Maybach brand represents ‘Ultimate Luxury’ in its most contemporary, purest form. The brand’s style is embodied in sublime beauty, supreme aesthetics and elegance. In order to define the luxury of the future, we are taking the concept of Sensual Purity to the next level and transforming ourselves from a premium manufacturer to the world’s leading design brand.”
We look forward to the production models of these SUVs at next years shows. Until then, we can contemplate the sensual purity of those Maybach champagne flutes.