The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept debuted today at the Auto China show in Beijing, showcases a new ultra-high-end crossover from the German automaker. And it could very well stand to preview the next-generation production GLS.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept has an unwieldy design to go with its unwieldy name. Onto that shape, Mercedes has applied signature Maybach design elements. The narrow headlights flank a finely slatted grille, a distinct engine compartment and trunk with a passenger compartment sandwiched in the middle — with the raised ride height of an SUV.
Inside it looks as luxurious as you’d expect, in an entirely modern way, with eye-catching trim that could only be found in a concept. The cabin is done up all in white and rose gold, with ebony wood trim and twin freestanding 12.3-inch displays. But this concept vehicle was designed primarily for chauffeur-driven use, so the back seats got most of the attention. Reclining, Nappa leather-clad rear seats are modeled on the ones in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sedan, and S-Class features like a massage function and perfume spritzer were adapted to the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury as well.
Power comes courtesy of four electric motors, which together drive all four wheels and produce together they produce a massive 750 horsepower (550 kW). The 80 kWh battery under the floor gives it a range of over 200 miles. (That’s by US standards, or 500 kilometers on the new European cycle.) Mercedes claims a range of over 200 miles, and a top speed of 155 mph. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury.
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Daimler AG, describes the vehicle: “The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before. Our concept combines the DNA of an SUV with that of a saloon to produce an ultra-modern SUV of three-box design,” says Wagener. “With sensuality and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of Mercedes-Maybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”
Mercedes hasn’t yet revealed whether it’ll produce the Ultimate Luxury, but with demand for ultra-luxurious crossovers and SUVs on the rise, we wouldn’t be surprised to see a high-riding Maybach going into production.