Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 debuts with a thud

The revived Maybach brand is not new to SUVs. Their Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet was a swan-song to the previous generation of the G-Wagen but was an offering for an extremely small niche. But this time around, the new Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 SUV is ready to properly lock horns with the top guns in the game, the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls Royce Cullinan. Unfortunately, in a week which also saw the launch of the Aston Martin DBX and the Tesla Cybertruck, the gussied-up GLS-Class feels utterly forgettable already. 

If you were one of them who criticised the van-like BMW X7 for its gargantuan grill, you are not going to be comfortable here as well. The GLS 600 comes with a large grill with vertical slats, all bathed in chrome. The front bumper has a massive mesh grill, in chrome, obviously. If that does not dazzle the oncoming traffic, there’s more chrome, even on the underbody protection. 

A set of 22-inch wheels come as standard while a 23-inch set is offered as an option. The B-pillars and the roof rails also get the chrome treatment, but the C-pillar is left black, making it look like a hearse. This SUV is not short on bling, which will help it sell in China, the prime market for these kinds of luxury barges. To amp up the bling even further, the GLS 600 can be finished in any of the eight two-tone paint finishes. The rear gets a chrome strip that runs along the width of the car. 

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 does not have a longer wheelbase than the standard car, so they took out the third row of seats to make more room inside. This makes it a 5-Seater, or even better, a luxurious 4-seater with individual chairs. This allows the rear passengers to enjoy 1103mm of legroom. This opulent barge, as expected, is loaded to the gills with luxury features. Ventilated and heated seats with massage function, an optional refrigerator, panoramic sunroof, champagne flutes, rolling blinds and a lot more. 

Powering this monster is the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 from the AMG models, making 550 hp and 729 Nm of torque. The EQ Boost feature gives an additional 21 hp and 249 Nm for a limited time. Though it doesn’t matter to the ones who buy it, the 0-100 kph time of the GLS 600 is just under 5 seconds. 

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS600 will be launched in the United States by the second half of next year, but we fully expect to see it in the UAE and GCC by then as well, probably for a price approaching Dhs 1 million in fully decked-out trim.