2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-class revealed

A 180mm increase in wheelbase, more interior space and a flurry of new comfort features promise to make the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-class the most luxurious one yet.

Published On Nov 19, 2020 06:30:00 PM

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The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-class has been revealed a little over two months after the debut of the new-generation S-class. Following in the tread patterns of the outgoing Maybach S-class – of which Mercedes-Benz has sold over 60,000 units worldwide since 2015 – the new Maybach S-class promises to shift the goalposts for luxury limousines by offering greater interior space and a glut of new comfort-oriented features.

2021 Maybach S-class has a 3,396mm-long wheelbase
Features reclining Executive seats, active road noise compensation
Likely to join the S-class range in India by 2022

2021 Mercedes Maybach S class dimensions and design

As befits a limousine, the new Mercedes-Maybach S-class is one long car. At 5,469mm, it’s a substantial 180mm longer than the long-wheelbase version of the new S-class, and all of those 180mm have gone into the new Maybach’s wheelbase, which is 3,396mm long – 31mm longer than even the outgoing Maybach S-class. To put it into perspective, a Maruti Suzuki Alto is a mere 49mm longer.

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes-Benz has only made small exterior additions to help distinguish the Maybach from lesser S-classes. Unique to the new Maybach S-class are the signature Maybach grille with slim vertical bars and a ‘Maybach’ inscription on top, a central chrome fin on the bonnet, a chrome applique for the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers, 34-spokealloy wheels, larger rear doors, Maybach insignias on the C-pillars and an optional two-tone paintjob with a ‘dividing line’, which can take up to a week to be completed.

2021 Mercedes Maybach S class interior and features

Of course, the action with the new Mercedes Maybach S-class is on the inside. It retains the minimalistic interior design of the new S-class, along with its second-gen MBUX infotainment system, 12.8-inch tablet-style OLED infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch 3D digital instrument display and up to three screens for rear-seat passengers.

Specific to the Maybach version are wood finishes for the front seatbacks, with a matching finish applied to the rear-centre console as well. As standard, the new Maybach S-class gets individual ‘Executive’ rear seats and a Chauffeur package as standard. The backrest of the Executive seats can be reclined by as much as 43.5 degrees, and the backrest of the front passenger seat can be tilted forward by as much as 23 degrees to free up even more room at the back, allowing the rear-seat passenger to really stretch out.

Also part of the package is a massage function integrated into the rear seat calf rests, a neck/shoulder heating function for the rear passengers, adaptive rear lighting, powered rear door opening and closing, an optional rear refrigeration compartment between the Executive seats and active road noise compensation, which employs the Burmester 4D sound system to produce counter-phased sound waves.

There’s also an active ambient lighting system, which employs 253 LEDs, a head-up display with augmented reality, along with an optional Interior Assist function, which uses cameras to track movements of the car’s occupants and proactively trigger certain functions. For example, the system will activate the rear seat’s automatic seatbelt extender – a first for a Mercedes-Benz sedan –if it senses the passenger reaching for the belt.

2021 Mercedes Maybach S class powertrains and tech

The new Maybach S-class gets a handful of engine options, all of which are assisted by a 48V ‘EQ Boost’ mild-hybrid system that can provide as much as 20hp in short bursts. A 9-speed automatic gearbox is standard, as is all-wheel drive.

As on the new S-class, the 2021 Maybach S-class also gets a rear-axle steering system, which turns the rear wheels by up to 10 degrees in the opposite direction of the front axle when parking, and by up to 4.5 degrees in the same direction as the front axle at speeds of over 60kph. It also helps give the new Maybach S-class a tighter turning circle (11.2m). Part of the safety kit are standard frontal airbags for rear-seat passengers; in all, the new Maybach S-class is equipped with a whopping 18 airbags.

Also available is the Pre-Safe Impulse side function (part of the E-Active Body Control suspension), which lifts the car up by 80mm when it detects an impending side-on crash. Rear-axle steering and E-Active Body Control suspension are both optional extras.

Like the standard S-class, the new Maybach S-class, too, gets Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, and by the second half of 2021, will be able to drive entirely on its own on certain stretches with dense traffic – at speeds of up to 60kph – in Germany. As with all Level 3 autonomous-certified vehicles, the Maybach S-class will require the driver to be alert at all times and ready to take to the controls again, should the situation demand it.

2021 Mercedes Maybach S class launch details

In select markets – including China, where Mercedes-Benz sold over 700 Maybach S-classes every month in 2019 – the new Maybach S-class will be launched in the first half of 2021. In India, the new Mercedes-Benz S-class will only be launched sometime in the second half of 2021, and Mercedes-Benz India is expected to introduce the standard S500 in our market first. The 2021 Mercedes Maybach S-class’ India launch is likely to take place by 2022, and when it does arrive, you can expect the new Maybach S-class’ price in India to start at a little over Rs 2 crore (ex-showroom).

What do you think of the new Mercedes Maybach S-class? Let us know in the comments.

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