A sketch of the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury's dashboard
Mercedes will show an extravagant Maybach SUV concept at the Beijing motor show, intended to appeal to affluent Chinese buyers who are vital to the success of super-luxury car sales worldwide.
The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is Maybach’s first SUV and is aimed at showing what Mercedes’ high-end brand is capable of, in the wake of the release of similar models from rivals such as the Bentley Bentayga and upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
However, the concept is only a design study and is not set for production.
Ahead of next week’s Beijing show, Mercedes has previewed the concept with a video (below) of a luxurious, futuristic interior and released a sketch of its dashboard.
While the concept has been created for the Chinese market, it is likely that design elements will make it onto western Maybach models.
Currently, the only model on sale by the brand worldwide is the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. However, a Mercedes-Maybach GLS – unrelated to the Beijing show concept – is expected at the Los Angeles motor show in November. The car is tipped to be priced at around £120,000 when sales begin in 2019.
It will share the same basic aluminium-and-steel bodyshell and advanced four-wheel-drive underpinnings as the regular GLS. However, its upmarket positioning will be justified by a series of subtle exterior design tweaks and a significantly more luxurious interior.
A high-level Mercedes official previously told Autocar: “We have been quietly surprised by the sales success of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which is proving extremely popular in many key markets. The plan now is to extend the exclusivity surrounding the Maybach name into the upper end of the SUV segment. We’re confident that this new model will leave little to be desired in terms of luxury.”
Mercedes is also showing a production version of its A-Class saloon at the Beijing show, following the concept’s appearance at 2017’s Shanghai motor show. While this model is set for China, a similar model will arrive in Europe at a later date.
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