Earlier this month, Mercedes began releasing teasers for a concept we believed was a Maybach SUV. With the Bentley Bentayga already on the road and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan just around the corner, it made sense that Mercedes would build a Maybach version. Past reports suggested it would be based on the next-generation GLS, and concepts such as the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet had us looking forward to seeing Mercedes’ take on an ultraluxury SUV. But could we have predicted the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury? Not at all.
From the front, the design looks familiar, incorporating a lot of the styling cues we’ve seen in other recent Mercedes concepts. But instead of sticking with a traditional two-box SUV shape, the Ultimate Luxury concept looks like a high-riding sedan. Almost like the Volvo S60 Cross Country, only far more expensive, much less handsome, and on 24-inch turbine-inspired wheels.
“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before,” said Gorden Wagener, Daimler’s head of design, in a release. “Our concept combines the DNA of an SUV with that of a sedan to produce an ultra-modern SUV of three-box design. With sensual and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of Mercedes-Maybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”
We’re not sure we would use such positive words, but who knows? Our opinion could change 25 years down the line or perhaps when we see it in person. Possibly. Maybe.
Inside the Ultimate Luxury concept, where you don’t have to look at the awkward exterior styling, it’s a different story. The spacious interior looks incredibly luxurious, with quilted leather, natural wood, and polished metal covering almost every surface. We especially like the way the wood trim wraps around the cabin. The prominent use of rose gold probably isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it certainly makes a statement. And speaking of tea, yes, that is a handmade fine-china tea set that automatically retracts at the push of a button.
Since the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a concept in 2018, it also features an electric all-wheel-drive powertrain. Four motors give it a total system output of 738 hp and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. With an 80-kWh battery under the floor, Mercedes says it has a range of more than 200 miles per charge, and on a 350-kW charger, it can add about 60 miles of range in only five minutes.
Nothing official has been announced, but a production version is probably inevitable. Assuming that happens, maybe we’ll get lucky, and Mercedes will decide to offer a version with more traditional styling, as well. If you can create a four-door coupe version of a regular SUV, why shouldn’t there also be a hatchback version of a high-riding crossover sedan?
Source: Mercedes-Benz