Mercedes-Benz GLS 600 Maybach 2021

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, but do you believe it’s not fancy or pricey enough? Perhaps you find the AMG version to be too audaciously athletic, or you prefer a different flavour of gaudy. Perhaps you do not wish to be noticed driving the GLS. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the ideal GLS to be driven in if you want to appear more like a fat cat who spends money on costly, alcoholic dinners and beautiful fountains than a professional athlete who spends money on a home gym and tennis courts. Does this humorous straw man represent an actual Maybach owner in any way? Who can say? We cannot fathom how wealthy someone must be to afford this $161,525 ultra-luxury SUV (before options), much alone knowing someone with such wealth. However, the GLS upon which it is founded is not unfamiliar to us. We drove the GLS 470 for the first time in Austria’s Tyrolean Alps, the AMG GLS 63 in the Columbia River Gorge, and nominated the E-Active Body Control suspension for Autoblog’s 2020 Technology of the Year Award. Most of the same components are available in the Maybach 600, but one look at this two-tone luxury liner will make you reconsider the capabilities of the GLS. While the basic body shape is similar, there was no mistaking our test vehicle for a standard GLS or even an exceptional AMG variant. The two-tone paint — Lunar Blue Metallic below the beltline and Iridium Silver Metallic above it — screams to passersby (in an aristocratic German accent, apparently) that something is odd here. The optional wheels, which feature a unique Maybach design, are an enormous 23 inches in diameter. The Mercedes hood ornament, which is practically extinct, is perched on the snout. The Maybach badges on the grille, trunk lid, and D-pillars serve as the final giveaway. But, truly, that paintwork is extraordinary. The appearance does not adequately convey what lies within. The driver’s door opens to reveal a luxurious, pleasant, and technologically advanced cabin. The dual-screen dashboard containing the instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen is becoming standard from GLS to GLA, as are the numerous controls on the steering wheel and centre console that make it simple to interact with them. Not only does the ambient lighting set the ambience, but it also highlights elements such as the grab handles on either side of the centre console and the Burmeister speakers on the A-pillars. The cockpit boasts a lounge-like feel thanks to the quilted black Nappa leather upholstery, massaging seats, and heated and cooled cupholders. The front seat does not match the level of luxury designated for back passengers.