Mercedes-Benz brings back its ultra-luxury Maybach brand after a two-year hiatus. This time, it will not be a separate brand as the Maybach name will be tagged along with the company's S-Class luxury sedan.
The new Mercedes-Maybach S600 limousine is scheduled to be unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show and Los Angeles Auto Show within the month. Instead of designing and making a new car from scratch, the company based the brand on the W140 S-Class Mercedes which hit the roads in 1991.
It was in 2012 when Mercedes-Benz decided to stop making the Maybach limousines. Apparently, the vehicle, which costs around $380,000, failed to sell profitably well. During this period, Maybach vehicles were attributed as a separate brand of Mercedes-Benz. It is the choice vehicle of some rap stars, oligarch and royals which include musician Jay-Z, Russia's Roman Abramovich and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
In 1997, the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 were introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show. The number indicated the length of the vehicle in decimeters.
In 2005, the company introduced the more powerful '57S.' It runs on a 6.0L V12 bi-turbo engine that produces 603 bhp.
Maybach 57 and Maybach 62 had the base prices of $344,000 and $394,000 respectively. The top line fixed roof Zeppelin models carried the tag prices of $580,000 for the 57 and $677,000 for the 65.
Along with the Maybach's return in the market, Mercedes is said to be changing its naming policy for the first time in over 20 years. New nameplates such as GLC, GLS, and SLC are also expected to be created.
One of the unexpected changes in the new naming system is the new SLC Class. Previously, the moniker was thought to be reserved for the new sports car. In the end, it turns out that the latter would be the AMG GT. The SLC is therefore meant for a brand new model which would kick out the SLK Class on a permanent basis.
There are some family models that would remain untouched. These would include the A, B, C, E, S, CLA and CLS. The GL shall now be referred to as GLS, the M as GLE, and the GLK as the GLC. The remainder of the lineup such as the SL, GLA, and G Class are also retaining their name assignment.
The upcoming Maybach S600 is expected to sell well when it lands on China, Japan, Russia, and the U.S. Pricing details are yet to be announced.
