Warning: You'll need to brush up your Russian to understand the video host's commentary.
Is it an SUV? A tall sedan? Another body style that doesn’t have a name yet? Call it what you want, the Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a head-turner, though not necessarily in a good way. The concept original unveiled a few months ago at the Beijing Motor Show in China is back in the news as we’ve stumbled upon a video shot in sunny Valencia, Spain during an event where Mercedes invited only eight people. This Russian guy with the camera strapped onto his head was one of them.
We have to admit that our Russian is a bit rusty, so we don’t understand what the host is saying, except for the parts of the video when he is talking to the Mercedes representative. Opening the front passenger door turned out to be a bit tricky, and then the host made a faux pas by slamming it a bit too hard upon closure. He was careful as to keep the lovely white leather upholstery intact by using a towel both when he was sitting in the back and after moving onto the front seat.
Freshen up your memory:
While the exterior design is a love/hate affair, there’s no denying the lavish cabin is superb thanks to an abundance of high-end leather, rose gold accents, and an elegant wood trim inspired by Chinese furniture. Mercedes has already hinted the next-generation S-Class will take inspiration from the Maybach Ultimate Luxury, though don’t expect to find the concept’s tea set in the back.
The lengthy video also shows the car in motion, albeit we could probably run faster than that. Even so, we get to see those massive 24-inch turbine-styled wheels and also hear the whirl of the electric motors, which can produce a combined output of 750 hp channeled to both axles. Mercedes engineered the high-riding sedan with a flat underfloor battery featuring a capacity of around 80 kWh and good for more than 200 miles (500 kilometers) as per NEDC.
It’s too soon to say whether the concept will get a road-going equivalent in the years to come, but you can rest assured Daimler will come out with a Maybach SUV sooner or later. As a matter of fact, one already exists in the form of the G650 Landaulet.
Video: Alan Enileev / YouTube