2022 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: A Day In Luxury’s Finest Seat

It’s 4:30 in the morning, my alarm goes off and I'm instantly wide awake. Usually, getting up early in the morning is something which I can’t do. I require more than a couple of alarms to shake me up. But today I’m about to experience something special, even though my 2022 has been packed with fancy cars – first, the ultra-comfy Audi Q7 then the quick and punchy Mercedes-AMG A45. Today, I’m about to meet a real celebrity car and one of the pinnacles of luxury, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.    

I quickly jump into our long term Kia Carens and head off towards the shoot location where we plan to rendezvou with Alan, who will be meeting us at sunrise. And as we enter the sleepy town of Lonavala, I catch my first glimpse of the long, grand, nautic blue Mercedes-Maybach S580 gleaming in the dawn light. 

As we are searching for a steaming hot cup of chai, the first thing I notice is that the Maybach S-Class pulls attention like no other luxurious car. It means business and you can see people turning around to see what, when, why and who. The standard S-Class stands out, but the Maybach is larger still, commanding even more road presence.  

But it’s not just its size that creates this presence, but also the bespoke elements and the masses of deep chrome accents everywhere that bring out a sense of classiness to the design. The vertically-slatted chrome grille with the Maybach lettering gives it a dash of opulence, as are the chrome laden air dams below it. In profile, chrome touches around the window sill and doors are lusciously finished, contrasting nicely in this dark blue paint job. 

I’m personally not a fan of the 20-inch Maybach 5-hole forged wheels that have a few fans in the ZigWheels office, preferring its old school design. I personally feel spoked rims give the sedan much more modernity to keep it up with the times. Also, strangely the Maybach logo doesn’t take centre stage unlike the previous generation car. The Tri-pointed star takes its place on top of the grill, while the Maybach logo has taken up position on the massive C-pillar with more MAYBACH lettering on the tailgate to let the world know you’re riding in something special. And while it certainly looks special, it’s not as impactful as seeing the double ‘M’ perched on the hood. 

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After chai, I head to the rear seats with Alan behind the wheel. The rear doors are large and open very wide, so reaching them after you have buckled up is a task. But Mercedes has given us a party piece: gesture closing doors that just require you to perform a wave gesture, and the rest is taken care of by a raft of sensors and an electric motor in the door. At my first attempt, it didn’t work, but when it did, I was awestruck. An awesome gimmick to show-off to your friends. 

And once the doors close, it’s pin drop silence. Due here goes to the double-glazed glasses and active noise cancellation, in which the latter irons out all the outside noise by playing counter phase noise, effectively becoming a giant pair of Sony XM4s. Refinement levels are incredible and the cabin is so quiet that I didn’t notice Alan had started driving towards Aamby Valley all this while.   

I press the boss mode button, which reclines my seat back and pushes the front seat forward, essentially converting this luxurious armchair into a bed. The soft cushioning of the seats, small pillow to rest your head, and the top quality leather easily better my king-sized bed at home. I wouldn’t mind sleeping here daily rather than my nice cosy master bedroom. 

Legroom is available in spades. A clear way to look at this is by comparing it with the S-Class. While the base of my shoes were touching the standard S-Class’s front seats in full recline mode, the Maybach makes use of that extra length, and there is actually room to spare. Good for stretching out, but then the screen in front of you is quite some distance away. Fret not though, as you can control it by using the pop out Samsung tablet nested in the rear armrest.

This is also my first encounter with the MBUX and it feels like I was preparing for my 12th grade board exams. There’s a steep learning curve to know the vehicle’s features, and despite spending a while with the car, I couldn’t go through it fully. Right from controlling the main infotainment system to adjusting minute things like the seat bolsters and massaging function, every little function can be controlled via this tablet. 

Speaking of which, the massaging function relaxes you completely, like you would expect from a 5-star hotel spa. The addition of calf massage (absent in the standard S) is a blessing as well, considering that we need to stand under the blazing sun for quite some time. Good thing that you get bum coolers, which give you a refreshment every now and then.

Maybach is all about making you feel at home, and one small touch of personalisation I liked is the ambient lighting. In most cars, you can choose one colour, but things are different in the Maybach. You, the rear-seat occupant, can choose your favourite colour for each and every contour. So you can have a mix and match of different colours like red, green, blue or as per your preference.  

The carpets and headliner are so soft that it feels like you’re running your hands through a sheep’s wool. And the silver buttons and trims smothered all around the cabin are expensive aluminium that feels so delightful to touch. And the damping of the armrest, the way it gently falls down, just gives so much satisfaction to my OCD.  

Also Read: My First Ever Joy Ride In A Mercedes-AMG A45 S!

Sadly, the Samsung tablet is the one sore point in the otherwise opulent interior. It’s slow, laggy, and the resolution feels old school; I wish Mercedes hadn’t cheaped out here.

Twist In The Tale  

We soon reach the top of Aamby, and as I am bathing through the lap of luxury in the rear seat, Alan turns around and asks me to come to the front. I immediately head to the shotgun seat, and Alan says no, get into the driver’s seat. I was shocked, could I really be driving my first 2 Crore car? My face had a big wide grin, but I was also very, very scared. 

Numbers start running into my head. 5.2 metres long, around 2 metres wide, 4-litre twin-turbo V8, 503PS/700Nm. Will I be able to handle all of this? What if I ding the car, and that too right when appraisals are just around the corner? With such thoughts running through my head, I struggle to get comfortable behind the steering wheel, slot the gear stalk into ‘Drive’, and gently release the brakes.

And within moments, as I start rolling, my fears vanish as this large luxury limo wraps around me like a baby E-Class. Soon enough, I find myself hustling this large limo through the twisties of Aamby Valley. Credit goes to the air suspension, which nicely cocoons and disguises the vehicle’s XXL dimensions, while the butter smooth steering rack makes manoeuvring this gargantuan sedan a cakewalk. 

The AMG-derived 4-litre twin-turbo V8 has been sprinkled with a tinge of Maybachness to make it apt for this luxury sedan. So in the E63 AMG, for example, it’s a loud, thundering beast. But here, it’s a beast tamed, and driven gently it purrs like a cat with a light foot. Even the gearbox is so smooth and near CVT-like that you really can't tell when it’s shifting through the ratios. 

But let its nature not fool you as the engine would still remind you that it’s an AMG-sourced unit when giving it the beans. Keep the foot pinned, and the silence of the cabin is interrupted by a sporty, but still dignified snarl as the V8 wakes up and pushes you into the seat with the speedometer rapidly climbing up. 4.8 seconds to 100kmph is insane ability, especially when you consider its 2.4 tonne kerb weight. 

Plus, this is when you’ll notice that the Maybach S-Class can be rewarding to drive as the handling is taut for such a large luxury limo. There is no body roll at all, and the steering wheel is light but direct as it points the car where you want it to go. I never thought I’d be saying this, but I’m grinning wide as I push the sedan over a tight hairpin bend.  

Alan suggested trying out the three predefined drive modes, and here’s a brief overview of what I felt:

Maybach (Comfort+): Slackens things off nicely by keeping the suspension and throttle response at their softest setting. In fact, the suspension softens down way too much for our uneven roads and the ride starts to feel a tad floaty after a few minutes. 

Comfort: Adjusts the suspension in such a way that there is a good balance between ride and handling. Feels tied down while tackling corners, and this doesn’t come at the cost of ride. This is my preferred mode for daily use. 

Sport: Dials things up a notch by firming up the suspension (ride was still great), keeping the engine and gearbox at max attack, and ensuring the engine is in its peak power band for max attack. Find a good stretch of road, and you’ll be grinning while pushing this behemoth. 

 Also Read: Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600

“Ani…. Time up… time up. Pull over, I’m going to take over,” says Alan, as we head back to Lonavala. This was one of the best 15 minutes of my life as I switched to the shotgun seat. 

Now To The Finer Bits  

Even though we had the Maybach S-Class in our Zig parking lot for a bit over two days, none of us could completely go through the shopping list rivalling the amount of features. Clearly, owners will have a steep learning curve to get to know their cars properly from top to bottom. But with the limited time we had with the car, here are top five features we really loved:

• The Brilliant MBUX Infotainment System 

Even though my first encounter with the MBUX was in the ‘not-so-nice’ Samsung tablet, I soon got to experience it later through the butter smooth and high-res 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, or even simpler to say “the brain of the car.”And damn, this thing really uplifts your overall experience, especially the minute attention to details where the icons turn to you when you point at the screen. It makes you feel special and more connected with the car. 

Then there’s the incredible amounts of personalisation. Yes, you can set your preferred driving position, favourite colours for the ambient lighting, and probably your choice of view for the instrument cluster. And once it’s done, you can save it as your profile and secure it using either fingerprint or facial recognition so that next time you step in, your authentication will set the car up just the way you like it. So, so damn cool!  

The only downside to this is that the system is majorly touch dominated, so for certain functions like operating the climate control, you might have to take your eyes off the road for a moment. But there’s a solution, and that’s by using the voice command system with the hot word “Hey Mercedes.” 

And the even better part is it works straight for most of the time. So if you are sitting on the co-driver seat and ask it to activate the seat coolers, it’ll activate only that particular seat’s ventilation. Also, the voice assistant is easier to use as the learning curve to get to know the MBUX is like a student working hard to score 100 marks for an exam. 

• The Concert Hall-like Audio Experience 

The Burmester 4D sound system comprises 30-speakers, a subwoofer, eight exciters (structure-borne sound transducers) in the seats, and two amplifiers (one 1300w and the other 400w one for the subwoofer). These work in conjunction to give a concert or a disco club-like experience on wheels. 

We played some techno tracks to sample the system, and all the beats and minute sounds were heard crystal clear. But the jewel in the crown are the exciters that beat minutely behind the seat, making you literally ‘feel’ and enjoy the track even more. Words aren’t simply enough to say how fantastic this system is. 

• The Energising Comfort Package And Ambient Lighting  

The Maybach S-Class’s ambient lighting uplifts the car’s already opulent interior by several notches. And its job isn’t just to show off, but it’s integrated with the car’s features as well. So, let's say you’re adjusting the temperature, streaks of blue or red (depending on whether you;re increasing or decreasing) run through that part of the cabin. 

But it’s the Energising Comfort Package that’s the showstopper. So in case you had a stressy day at work, you simply say “Hey Mercedes, I’m stressed” and the car will automatically choose the right ambient lighting and play soft music so you can cool down. Not happy with it? Well, then there are pre-defined modes to choose from depending on your mood.   

Also Read: Facelifted 2022 Audi Q7: First Drive Review

You can also connect this feature with your smartwatch. And if the watch detects higher bpm rates, the system will detect your stress levels and will automatically choose lighting and music appropriate for the situation – upbeat if it thinks you’re sleepy, and chill mode if it thinks you’re a bit stressed. Very, very clever indeed. 

• Rs 68 Lakh Worth Of Options

Yes, you read that right. Rs 68 lakh worth of options are offered with the Maybach S-Class. Some are definitely worth it like the First-class rear compartment with twin individual seats worth Rs 5.84 lakh that elevate the rear cabin experience, comparable to a private jet. But some things are definitely mind boggling. Take the champagne goblets for example which are worth a whopping Rs 4.45 lakh.

The table below gives you a detailed rundown of all the accessories and its features:

• The S680 Is Waaaay Better! 

Fancy more power, even more luxury, and bragging rights? Then spend the extra moolah and get the S680. A creamy 6-litre V12 engine, even more features and tech like rear-wheel steering; and most importantly, certain options like the First-class rear compartment with twin individual seats are standard here. 

Summing Up The Day 

After a hectic day, we reached the outskirts overlooking Lonavala's beautiful evening sky. As the sun dawns into the horizon, it’s probably a good time to recollect my time spent with the new Maybach S-Class. It has the luxury like you’ve never imagined, tech to make your head spin around for a couple of days by just trying to experience it all, and most importantly, you’ll be pampered like a baby with the amount of work it does for you. 

Sure, this comes at a cost, and isn’t cheap by any means. Rs 2.5 crore just for the base specification, and around Rs 68 lakh of options to choose from before the taxes are slapped on. And the fact that the standard S-Class is already so good, the Maybach S580 is simply a stretch. But you spending that type of money and expecting a celebrity status from the car, which the Maybach does brilliantly, could be money well spent?

I was awestruck by the fact that I got the opportunity not to experience one of the world’s best cars from just the rear seat, but from behind the wheel; even though it was just for 15 minutes.