Mercedes-Maybach offers peerless driving experience

/ Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea

By Park Jin-hai

Mercedes-Benz, marching with the motto of “Best or Nothing,” is revving up to elevate the level of driving in luxury.

The three-pointed star has revived the prestigious Maybach gene of its most successful S-class sedan, and the result is the Mercedes-Maybach S-class.

With a longer wheelbase and an extended body than the standard S-class, the stately and modern-looking Mercedes-Maybach S-class has drawn awe with a new level of exclusivity.

“Mercedes-Maybach embodies ‘the best’ in its most exclusive form. Our goal is as follows: We want to offer our S-class customers not only the best car, but also what fits best to their individual and exclusive lifestyle,” said Johannes Reifenrath, the company’s director of product strategy and planning, during a recent media event in San Francisco.

“In parallel to the sporty positioning of Mercedes-AMG, we are using Mercedes-Maybach to create a new offering in the exclusive top segment. We launched the Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand in November 2014.”

The high-quality standards are evident from hand-stitched nappa leather doors to

chrome-plated tweeter grilles and the ambience lighting on the side on the armrest, creating a unique modern luxury style.

Designed as a chauffeur-driven car, the German carmaker says its attention was focused on the rear-seat passengers.

“It’s first and foremost the rear-seat passengers who benefit from the opulent spaciousness of the Mercedes-Maybach,” said Reifenrath.

With a 20-centimeter longer wheelbase and extension between the B and C pillar, additional space has been earned to boost comfort for the rear passengers.

The single most outstanding feature is the silence in the cabin. It boasts an exceptionally low level of wind noise, which helps to make the rear cabin the "quietest in the world" from a production limousine.

On top of all the amenities that S-class drivers enjoyed including the executive seats and the 18-square-feet Magic Sky Control panoramic roof that can be tinted, this luxury saloon has a new function called Voice Amplification.

Thanks to the intelligent device that picks up speech and amplifies sound depending on the outside noise level, the rear passenger can have a conversation without pitching their voice even when outside noise is loud.

There are two models available: the Mercedes-Maybach S500 and S600. The top model the Mercedes-Maybach S600, with a V12 biturbo engine and 530 horsepower, is priced at 294 million won, which is 27 million won higher than the long-base S600.

The Mercedes-Maybach S500 with a V8 biturbo engine and 455 horsepower sells at 233 million won.

Since its April launch, a total of 280 people have already ordered this super luxury vehicle.

Korea is a big market for the S-class luxury sedan, ranked No.3 in terms of global S-class sales. Since the sixth generation S-class hit the local market in November 2013, the company sold nearly 8,500 S-class units.

Mercedes has launched a total of 13 models within the S-class lineup including the S-class coupe.