The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is the German automaker’s flagship and, as such, usually considered basically the best car in the world at any given moment, though Rolls-Royce and Bentley will very slowly rise from their chairs to argue otherwise.
Mercedes said Wednesday that the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will start at $184,900, or $11,900 more than the outgoing generation Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. However, buyers in this rarefied sphere will probably pay more, considering all the options you can get. Not that money will be a concern for anyone who buys this car, though I’ve always wondered who gets the base model.
The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will be powered by a V8 that makes 496 horsepower. Still, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class isn’t about speed, it’s about interior comfort. Well, fine, both.
Active road noise compensation further suppresses noise by reducing unwanted low-frequency noises using counter-phased sound waves to create a very quiet interior cabin, and the new ‘Maybach’ DYNAMIC SELECT mode provides maximum ride comfort with smoother acceleration characterisitcs and a low-shift transmission configuration.
Also this year: The second-generation of the MBUX infotainment debuts in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which Mercedes apparently thinks is going to be a big selling point for this car and other cars MBUX is in, given how high up in its press release Mercedes talks about it.
The new Maybach also debuts the second generation of the sophisticated, learning-capable MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system with advanced Voice Control and 50% more processing power compared to the previous MBUX system. Individual MBUX profiles can be activated by biometric authentication via fingerprint sensor, voice control or facial recognition. New near-ear speakers are integrated into the front seats allowing for further personalization - for example, so that only the driver can hear navigation instructions. The interior also showcases all- new technology such as Active Ambient Lighting that uses advanced LED technology to enhance the in-car experience by visually supporting the driver assistance systems or by flashing to identify the current speaker when interacting with MBUX.
Additional new features such as the 3D driver display, which includes a 3D Instrument Cluster and Augmented Reality Head-Up Display, further supplement MBUX and Augmented Video for Navigation.
MBUX! We get it. I feel like that name could use some work, though.
The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class’s price is a little more than half of what you would pay for a Rolls-Royce Ghost, and just under the 200-and-some-thousand-dollar Bentley Flying Spur. That’s if you’re comparing it to those cars, though I assume buyers at this end of the market have pretty firm ideas about which they prefer already. Well, more firm than the seats.