Return to Page 1: Maybach – a short history, and its return to Singapore

GLS = Giant Luxury SUV

An excellent limo is the least we expect from Maybach, but what really marks its ‘2022-ness’ is the brand’s GLS 600.

The GLS is Mercedes’ absolutely huge, seven-seat SUV – check out the launch of the previous-gen model here – now in its third-generation.

The Maybach GLS can be thought of as an upscale, five-seat SUV with a lot of space, since there’s no third row on this GLS model, and local buyers apparently value the three-person second row. 

Our ride was equipped with the First Class package (S$18,000) which ditches the three-person bench for two individual seats that have individual recline and massage capabilities.

For the champagne brunch on the move – not supplied on our ride sadly – the car also had the optional champagne flute holder S$3,800, fridge (S$5,300), and folding tables (S$8,600). 

The high-riding reclined position certainly does make it seem like you’re flying along, and with the E-Active Body Control suspension as standard, the car doesn’t pitch or roll much, crucial for comfort in an elevated SUV-type seating position. 

In terms of sheer wow factor and comfort, it’s not as impressive as the S-Class, but the SUV form factor is a necessity in this age of Bentayga and Cullinan. 

Mission statement not understatement 

Mercedes-Benz Singapore wouldn’t comment on raw sales figures, as expected, but management did say that the Singapore customer response to Maybach is already excellent, with numerous orders confirmed.  

That doesn’t come as a huge surprise firstly because Maybach as a proper sub-brand this time around would certainly have appeal to Mercedes buyers, or potentials, who want something more than mainstream.

Secondly, the super-lux segment boomed in Singapore in 2021 and we expect 2022 to be more of the same despite a recent hike in taxes for cars in that segment. 

But we said: the cars embody only two out of three of Maybach’s thrust points?

We’re not entirely sure an extra-long limo and a huge 5.3-metre long, two-metre tall mega-SUV with big, bright grillework and 22-inch wheels can really be considered understated, even if their designs don’t constitute a major departure from the models they’re based on. Yet in the realm of hyper-luxury cars, that could be exactly what its target audience wants.

At least from what we’ve experienced, they both show that Mercedes-Maybach has a clear fix on what constitutes luxury in 2022, far more than the standalone Maybach brand did in 2005. 

Mercedes-Maybach S 580 L 

Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 

Pages: 1 2