Mercedes-Benz has whipped the covers off its Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury ahead of the concept’s official debut at the Beijing Auto Show. And, rather interestingly, the Stuttgart-based brand’s concept combines what Benz calls “the comfort and typical strengths” of a high-end sedan and an SUV.
Key design cues include a distinctive chrome-plated grille with large air inlets, alongside a horizontal intake with integral chrome blades. You’ll also no doubt notice the truncated running boards, the 24-inch turbine-look wheels, the three-step head- and taillamp arrangement and that split rear window.
The three-box sedan shape, meanwhile, integrates an upright C-pillar with a long wheelbase and short overhangs. So, what sort of size is the concept? Well, it measures 5 260 mm long, 2 110 mm wide and 1 764 mm tall, making it 140 mm longer than the Mercedes-Benz GLS (yet with a roofline some 86 mm lower).
Inside, you’ll find plenty of high-end pieces of trim, including rosé gold, crystal white and pearl grey elements. The air vents match the design of the front grille, while the cockpit features a free-standing double 12,3-inch display as seen in the latest production models from Mercedes-Benz.
The Ultimate Luxury concept clearly takes some inspiration from the current S-Class, and in fact seemingly borrows the luxury sedan’s seats. Something you won’t find in the S-Class, however, is the “Magic Wood” tea service, which makes itself available to passengers at the press of a button.
The Ultimate Luxury concept uses an electric powertrain with four compact permanent-magnet synchronous motors (and an 80 kWh battery) offering a fully variable all-wheel-drive system. Total system output comes in at 550 kW, allowing a claimed range of 500 km and a top speed limited to 250 km/h.
The show car’s design seemingly caters for the Chinese market, with Mercedes-Benz saying that many of the design cues were inspired by Far Eastern cultures. The brand also makes the point that the notchback body is a popular shape in the Chinese market.
“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before,” said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Daimler.
“Our concept combines the DNA of an SUV with that of a saloon to produce an ultra-modern SUV of three-box design. With sensuality and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of Mercedes-Maybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”
