MERCEDES BENZ’S NEW MEGA LUXE GLS 600 PUTS THE MAYBACH BADGE ON AN SUV FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND THE RESULT IS UNABASHED OPULENCE

BY AMANDA MCCOY

In its quest to achieve the “Ultimate Luxury” (as coined by Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener), the full size land yacht combines the body design and technical basis of the GLS with the affluence of a top class saloon car. While the exterior styling does deviate from its non-Maybach brethren take the glossy chrome pinstriped grille and surmounted Mercedes Benz star, for instance it’s the interior cabin that really sets the flagship SUV apart. The menu of extravagant luxuries is long, from plush materials to a dedicated scent of white Osman thus blossoms. The vehicle even bows to its passengers, lowering its suspension upon entry and exit with retractable running boards.

In a gloriously selfish move, the vehicle is purposely devoid of a third row, even as an option, and that’s to ensure utmost comfort in the back seats. After all, as a chauffeur ready ride, the automaker is anticipating its clientele will spend the majority of the time in the second row. The heated and ventilated rear seats recline to nearly mattress like comfort and harbor built in massagers. Enhanced noise insulation comes from the rigid partition and fixed parcel shelf behind the back seats, separating the main cabin from the trunk. Benz’s top of the line cruiser may have been constructed with supreme comfort in mind, but that doesn’t mean the automaker skimped on power and performance. The bi turbo engine, designed exclusively for the Maybach badge, is a 4.0L V8 that’s combined with the 48 volt EQ Boost technology to offer instantaneous access to torque. The outcome? A zippy 550 ponies and 538 lb. ft. of torque. Its 0 60 time comes in at a sports car rivaling 4.8 seconds.

November 2019 was an eventful month for Mercedes Benz. The first big announcement happened under the coruscating lights of the L.A. auto show, when the German automaker unveiled the next generation of its staple GLS SUV, featuring an impressive roster of tech and performance upgrades, including the new 48 volt EQ Boost electrical system, delivering more power and quicker acceleration. (MSRP starting at $132,100). Then only a few days later on the other side of the world in Guangzhou, China, the brand pulled the curtain on the latest member of its flagship Maybach ménage a flashy, chrome clad SUV filled to the gills with opulent features. The 2021 GLS 600 4MATIC gives the exalted “double M” crest to an SUV for the first time, joining the Mercedes Maybach S 560 and S 650 Sedan in the brand’s flagship armada.

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