Mercedes-Benz Maybach S600

Mercedes-Maybach S600 at a glance

Daimler's earlier stand-alone Maybach 57 and 62 limousines sold poorly, so for 2015 the company relaunched Maybach as the top line of Mercedes-Benz, starting with the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It targeted the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Mulsanne at a lower price, using the engineering of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Maybach S500 assembly also began in Pune, India, in September 2015, making India the second country to build a Maybach. More models are in the Mercedes-Benz catalogue.

Design and exterior

The Maybach's extra length goes into the rear doors and a small third side window set into the thick C-pillar, which shields rear passengers from view. The bonnet, a grille with double chrome slats, special headlights, newly shaped rear doors and Maybach badges on the C-pillars and boot lid distinguish it from the regular S-Class. Twenty-inch forged wheels were optional. Compared with the long-wheelbase S-Class, the Maybach is about 157 mm longer overall and has a 200 mm longer wheelbase.

Interior and rear-seat comfort

The cabin is designed around the rear passengers. Buyers could choose a bench or two individual reclining seats; the Executive seats recline and have extendable leg rests. A panoramic sliding roof and the extra side window make the rear feel very spacious, and a centre console with folding tables turns the rear into an office. Options included air-conditioned, heated and massaging seats, heated armrests, ionised and scented cabin air, a "first-class rear suite" and a 24-speaker Burmester High-End 3D surround system with 1,540 watts. Mercedes described the S-Class as the world's quietest production car, and the Maybach was the quietest and most spacious S-Class of its time.

Engines and performance

The S600 uses the 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive, while V8 models moved to the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic and could be ordered with 4MATIC all-wheel drive. In the USA the V8 model was called the S550. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h.

Chassis and Magic Body Control

The Maybach uses the S-Class's Airmatic air suspension, and rear-wheel-drive versions could be fitted with Magic Body Control. This system uses a stereo camera to scan the road ahead and prepares each wheel's suspension for bumps before the car reaches them, giving an exceptionally smooth ride. As of 2017, Magic Body Control was not available with 4MATIC.

Dimensions and weight

Mercedes-Maybach Pullman and other versions

The Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is a chauffeur-driven limousine with a 4,418 mm wheelbase and a length of 6,499 mm. It has a partition between the driver and the rear compartment and two pairs of facing rear seats, so four passengers sit in club arrangement. It was offered with the V12 of the S600 and later the S650, the seven-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive. An armoured version was sold as the Pullman Guard.

The 2017 facelift: from S600 to S650

With the 2017 update of the S-Class, the S600 was discontinued and replaced by the Maybach S650. It uses the former S65 AMG's V12, with 463 kW (630 PS) and 1,000 Nm, while the S500 was replaced by the S560 with a 4.0-litre V8. The facelift also brought new headlights and updated driver assistance and infotainment. Production of the W222-based Maybach ended in 2020, when the new generation based on the W223 S-Class arrived.

Rivals: how the Maybach S600 compares

The Maybach S600 competes with the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the Rolls-Royce Ghost and the Bentley Mulsanne. It is cheaper than the Rolls-Royce models, with more advanced driver aids taken from the S-Class; the British rivals offer more individual personalisation and a stronger sense of occasion. For the history of the classic Mercedes saloons, see classic Mercedes-Benz cars and the Mercedes-Benz W140, the first S-Class with a V12.