If we’re being honest here, the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class was just a matter of when not if. So here it is in all its chrome-y flashiness, coming to satisfy the needs and desires of those who believe the regular S-Class simply won’t cut it.

2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

Specifications
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  • Model: 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
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Interior

To start off, the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class has a longer wheelbase, unsurprisingly. This sort of car actually lends itself best to people who want and like to be chauffeured around. Therefore, the Maybach’s wheelbase is 18-centimeters (7.08 inches) longer than the long-version S-Class’ and now measures 339.6 centimeters (133.7 inches) instead of 321.6 centimeters (126.6 inches).

Obviously, the whole cabin layout is identical to what you get in the regular S-Class, albeit spiced up here and there with Maybach-specific bits and bobs. Ambient lighting, for example, gets two extra themes: rosé gold white and amethyst glow. There’s also a champagne cooler mounted behind the back seats which, by the way, also get a message function that can even ease up the pressure on your calves. Yes, your calves.

Going into deeper detail, there’s now wood adorning the back end of the front seat backrests and you can even get the same wood treatment in the back, between the two rear seats, by opting for the First-Class Rear package. There’s also a new interior color combo available just for the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, one that mixes Exclusive Nappa leather, designo crystal white and silver grey pearl. Oh, and the rear doors are electrically operated, meaning you just have to jump inside the car, push a button and they’ll close/open automatically like in the Rolls-Royce Ghost.

Still not fancy enough? Well, there’s the optional High-End interior package that ups the ante on many fronts. It also includes the First-Class Rear pack we told you about earlier, but also features such as:

-* Burmester 4D surround sound system

-* active ambient lighting

-* MBUX rear entertainment i.e. displays facing the rear passengers mounted on the front seats

-* MBUX augmented reality head-up display

-* folding rear tables

-* heated and ventilated rear seats

-* designo backrest wood trim

-* beltbags

-* USB Package Plus

-* Air-Balance pack

We’re also told that extra NVH padding has been added, especially around the rear seat area, in the shape of additional absorbent form around the wheel arches. Other such silence-inducing measures include fixed triangle windows in the C-pillars with thicker laminated glass and the option of choosing noise-optimised tires with foam absorber material inserted on the inside of the tire tread.

Now, let’s talk about screens. You can have up to five displays inside the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class:

-* one for the driver, that acts as instrument cluster

-* a 13-inch touchscreen on the center console

-* two 12-inch screens in the back, attached to the front seat headrests

-* a smaller touchscreen between the rear seats that’s removable, kind of like a tablet

Last but not least, the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class gets active road noise compensation, which is fancy PR talk for a system that generates sound waves from ceiling-mounted nozzles that cancel unwanted low-frequency noise coming from the outside.

Powertrain

Beefy power and a massive engine under the hood have always been the marks of luxury. Although Mercedes-Benz hasn’t published any sort of powertrain-related info, we expect the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class to feature the same mill as the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS600.

Namely, a fire-breathing M177 V-8 that makes 550 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque and also features a 48-volt hybrid setup, allowing the GLS600 to zap from naught to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.

The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will be a heavy car itself, so the powerplant looks fit for the job in the sedan as well, aided by the silky-smooth 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. In the GLS Maybach, the EQ Boost system adds 184 pound-feet and 21 horsepower of extra oomph for short bursts, so this could very well be the case for the S-Class Maybach.

2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class specifications

Engine

M177 V-8+48-volt hybrid

Horsepower

550 HP

Torque

538 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

4.8 seconds

Transmission

9G-Tronic automatic


Exterior

a two-tone Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mecedes-Benz

As you might have noticed, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sets itself apart from the regular S-Class thanks to a bucketload of chrome. In fact, this shiny, opulence-inducing material can be found on the wheels, grille, front bumper air intakes, hood, windows, rear bumper, and exhaust.

The real treat comes from the ability to pick your own two-tone paint finish from a hefty list of choices for the exterior, which is applied by hand by actual people instead of robotic arms and whatnot. In addition, the rear doors are wider and there’s a fixed quarter-light positioned on the C-pillars, as well as the Maybach logo.

Obviously, the towering Maybach grille is dominating the front end and it now features the MAYBACH word right on top, in similar fashion to the GLS600 Maybach. The luxo-sedan also gets seamless door handles and can sit on 19- or 20-inch wheels that you’ll only see on this particular car and not on any other “mundane” Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Price and availability

The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will go on sale next year, most likely in summer. There’s no price tag attached to it just yet, but we figure a $180,000-$190,000 starting sticker is something to expect.

Even if, hypothetically, the new S-Class Maybach demands a $200,000 investment, it will still be a lot cheaper than some of its rivals, including the Rolls-Royce Ghost (priced at over $300,000) and the Bentley Flying Spur (which starts at well over $200,000).

Beyond price tag wars, this car looks like it’s finally able to throw some fists at the British competition and perhaps spur more sales for the Maybach sub-brand in the process.