Mercedes-Benz India have ushered in a new super-luxury saloon, their flagship in the country, in the form of the Maybach S 600, at Rs 2.60 crore (ex-Pune).
The Mercedes-Maybach S 600 marks the resurrection of the former defunct brand, albeit in the form of a sub-brand, and also its re-entry in India. Mercedes-Maybach will operate as the more exclusive super-luxury sub-brand to Mercedes-Benz, in a similar vein to Mercedes-AMG, which operates as their ultra-high-performance brand.
The new Maybach S 600 is essentially a longer long-wheelbase S-Class, with a 3,365-mm wheelbase and length of 5,453 mm. Needless to say, this is intended to be a chauffeured vehicle. When compared to the S-Class L, the rear door has been shortened and seamlessly melds with the rear, with the absence of a rear three-quarter window, instead featuring the ‘MM’ emblem.
The added length frees up even more leg room at the rear than the S-Class L, allowing for the installation of business-class airplane seats, which recline up to 43.5° and have an adjustable calf support. The Chauffeur package is standard, and allows the front passenger seat to be adjusted from the rear doe more convenience. The THERMOTRONIC climate control is literally doubled, with a second unit offering a two-zone rear set-up, for each individual rear seat.
Magic Body Control based suspension is standard for the wafting ride quality the company prides itself on. Also on offer are the AIR-BALANCE package, which keeps the cabin fresh with a selection of fragrances to choose from Maybach’s exclusive line, AGARWOOD, as well as specially-crafted silver-plated champagne flutes. A high-end 24-speaker Burmester sound system brings theatre-class audio to the Maybach, with adjustable tweeters that spiral towards the passengers for added theatre. An added innovative safety feature is the Beltbag, which uses an inflatable rear seat-belt for rear passengers that prevents any injury to the rib-cage in the event of a crash.
At the heart is the familiar twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 with 530 PS and 830 Nm, paired to the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission driving the rear wheels. At 2,335 kg, the Maybach S 600 is only slightly heavier than the long-wheelbase S-Class, and offers a torque-to-weight ratio of 355 Nm/tonne. It is still capable, with 0-100 km/h taking just 5.0 seconds, with top speed restricted to 250 km/h.
Mercedes-Benz India also launched the Maybach S 500 at Rs 1.67 crore (ex-Pune). We have the low-down on that as well. The Mercedes-Maybach S 600, priced from Rs 2.60 crore (ex-Pune) will take on established names in the Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Flying Spur.
Story: Jim Gorde
