2014 Mercedes S-Class Performance

Mercedes-Benz tried to revive the iconic Maybach brand but to no avail as the company had to shut the super luxury car company due to poor demand. Maybach cars were super luxurious offering acres of interior room along with the best bits of creature comfort. However the timing was wrong as the market wasn’t in an expansion phase and was reeling under a slowdown. People buying cars in the segment gave more weight-age to the brand than the features on offer. Maybach wasn’t as popular as Rolls-Royce, the primary competitor of the now defunct manufacturer.

Now Mercedes-Benz plans to bring back Maybach but not as a car manufacturer but as a car brand. With the new S-Class (V222), Mercedes-Benz wants to fill in the void left by Maybach and a long-wheel base version of the world’s best car is going to do just that. The XL version of the S-Class has often used the Pullman designation but now Mercedes-Benz will use the Maybach name in select markets. Yes, you heard that right. The Stuttgart based automaker will soon launch the Mercedes-Benz Maybach, positioning it bang on against the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Mulsanne.

So how will Mercedes distinguish the S-Class and Maybach cars? Underneath both will be the same while styling changes will help you differentiate them on the outside. On the inside, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach will have more equipment along with bespoke options. The top-end S-Class model is the S600 while AMG powered models (S63 and S65) will sit between the S-Class and Maybach. Mercedes-Benz sold the Maybach in India priced from Rs. 4.85 crores. The vehicle was offered in two versions (57 and 62) post the revival of the brand in 2002.

2011 Maybach India