2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS Maybach Photos, engines & full specs

Mercedes-Benz didn’t want to waste the Maybach nameplate, and instead of using it for a separate brand, it morphed it into a super-luxurious trim level for selected vehicles, such as the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS 600 4Matic.

In a world of super luxurious SUVs, there were just two main contenders: the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, had the reputation of creating one of the most elegant premium SUVs, the GLS. As a result, it took this model as a starting point and then added all the bells and whistles it had in its basket, resulting in the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic. And when it finished the stocks, it developed and added more items to create an SUV that was on par with the other super-luxurious British-branded vehicles.

Any super-luxurious vehicle had to look bold and commanding on the road, and the German automaker tried to achieve that by creating a new front fascia for the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic. The broad grille was adorned by 29 vertical slats flanked by Intelligent Light System LED headlights, which were fitted as standard. In addition, the bumper sported a mesh grille for the wide lower air intake.

From its profile, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS revealed its massive stature emphasized by an optional two-tone paint finish, which customers could personalize according to their tastes. The chromed details on the B-pillars and window surrounding amplified the car’s luxurious status. Mercedes-Benz included the 22” light-alloy wheels in the standard package, while a set of 23” alloys was available at extra cost. On the D-pillar, behind the rearmost side windows, the automaker placed the chromed Maybach logo.

But the most significant upgrade over the regular Mercedes-Benz GLS 600 was inside the cabin. The exclusive leather applied on the dashboard, door, cards, center console, seats, and steering wheel created a luxurious feeling for the brand’s customers. Atop the dashboard was a two-display panel, with the one fronting the driver for the instrument cluster and the additional one for the MBUX infotainment unit. Both of them were standard and were sized at 2x12.3”. But the most essential upgrade was for the rear seats.

While the regular GLS range featured a bench seat, the Maybach version greeted its passengers with reclining individual seats with heating, ventilation, and massaging functions. Furthermore, it wasn’t available with a third-row out back. To ease ingress and egress to the vehicle, the automaker installed power-retractable running boards, which were 2.06 meters (6.8 ft) long and up to 21 cm (0.7 ft) wide.

Under the hood, the automaker installed a 4.0-liter V8 turbocharged powerplant, helped by an integrated starter generator (ISG) unit that added some torque and power for smooth transitions. Power was sent in all corners via a specially-tuned 9G-Tronic, nine-speed automatic transmission.