Mercedes is so thoughtful. If the six-figure S-Class Sedan, with its 496-horsepower V8, massaging seats at all four positions, air ionizer, and augmented reality displays aren’t enough for you, they have a more luxurious option. All it will cost you is (probably) about double the price.
For the uninitiated, the S-Class is the top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz sedan. It comes in a V6-powered S 500 and a V8-equipped S 580 model, each with nearly every luxury you can imagine. But we just said nearly.
If you want every luxury you can imagine, you step up to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It comes in a previously-announced V8-powered S 580 trim, and in this, the brand new S 680 model.
Hand-Built V12, All-Wheel Drive
Under the hood of the S 680 is a 621-horsepower, hand-built 6.0-liter V12, stamped with the name of the person who built it. It sends power to the wheels through a 9-speed automatic transmission. To all four wheels, for the first time. This edition of the Maybach gets Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, which sends 31% of the power to the front wheels and 69% to the rear.
That combination sends the S 680 from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, despite its more-than-5,000-pound curb weight. Four-wheel steering makes it light on its feet for such a beast.
The S 680 will arrive at dealerships in the first half of 2022. Pricing has not yet been announced. The less-powerful 2021 edition of the Maybach starts at $203,545.
Opulent Cabin Responds to Gestures
For nearly twice the cost of a standard S-Class, you get new luxuries. They include a new noise-canceling Burmester “4D” sound system and powered doors that you can open and close with a wave of your hand, or your chauffer can open and close them through the vehicle’s touch screen. You can also raise and lower sunscreens with a gesture.
Nappa leather lines the seats — and the headliner, the dashboard, the window surrounds, the interior of the glovebox. And so on.
Maybach models distinguish themselves from the pedestrian S-Class cars the rabble can afford thanks to their unique chrome grille, a subtly different bumper, and the available two-tone paint scheme.
For anyone reading this wealthy enough to be in the market, though, we’d be neglecting our duty if we didn’t point out that Mercedes’ new electric flagship, the EQS, has a few features this doesn’t. They include programmable scents and a luxurious nap mode. We’ve heard nothing about plans for a Maybach EQS.
