Mercedes-Benz Maybach S Class

The cabin of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is super-luxurious. It gets Nappa leather in a diamond quilted pattern for the seats and upholstery. There are plenty of colour and material options to choose from. These include a Champagne refrigerator, temperature-controlled cupholders, and work tables. Everything inside the cabin feels expensive and new-age. There's exquisite leather almost everywhere, along with 64-color ambient lighting, an air ionizing system with signature fragrance, and a panoramic sunroof. The dashboard is dominated by a 12.8-inch touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. Both run on the MBUX system. There are two individual entertainment screens for the rear passengers. The 30-speaker Burmester sound system outputs crisp audio. The sunroof and large doors can be opened via gesture control.

The Maybach brand was revived in 2000 as a super-luxury model with a unique look. The 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class in underpinned by its standard version. Mercedes has simply chosen to stretch the S-Class a bit. The new car is 180mm longer than the standard S-Class, with the length now stretching to 5,469mm. The lengthened rear door now gets a small quarter glass. The B-pillars are finished in brushed chrome. The famous three-pointed star adorns the bonnet and the boot. The bold chrome grille gets vertical slats with Maybach stamped on it. The air intakes on the front bumper get chrome surrounds. The exhaust and the Maybach name at the back, gets chrome treatment. The car's added length is complemented by the monobloc-design, subtle, 19-inch alloy wheels. The roofline stoops down at the back.

The cabin of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is opulent and redefines luxury. It's almost like travelling in a flight's business class. All seats are extremely plush. Even six-foot-tall passengers can stretch out, cross their legs and recline their seats without compromising space for people in the front seats. The rear seats get generous cushioning, with a soft pillow strapped to the headrest now embroidered with the Maybach logo. The longer wheelbase has created more cabin space. All seats recline by 43.5 degrees. The rear sets get fold-out massaging ottomans. The Mercedes air suspension is historically soft. It irons out all the bumps and ruts. But it sometimes becomes a bit too floaty. Switching over to the Sport mode improves things. The cabin itself is extremely quiet, with superb noise insulation. The rear seat has its own central console with a tab to operate the climate control and other comfort features. The S-Class comes with e-Active Body Control (ABC) that tracks the road and adjusts the suspension in real time for curves and bumps.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is hauled by a twin-turbocharged, eight-cylinder, 4.0-litre petrol engine that produces 503 PS/700 Nm. The motor is mated to a nine-speed 4Matic all-wheel-drive. Cars like these are usually meant to be chauffeur-driven, and there's a separate package for that. On perfect roads, the performance is almost cloud-like. The multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel is light and perfectly balanced. Even with its size, the S-Class turns corners effortlessly.   

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class has a sensor-based driver-assist system and Level 2 autonomous driving. It includes active lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic warning, automatic emergency braking, and evasive steering assist. A 360-degree camera eliminates all blind spots.

At a starting price of AED 787,100, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class is the most expensive car in its class. It's certainly not a car for the masses. The ride quality is unmatched, and the comfort level is superb. And with all the tech-assist features, this car should be on the automobile shopping list for the rich and famous.