Photo: Aksyonov Nikita
Mercedes is among the first carmakers to focus on luxury not just at the top of the market, but also in compact packages. Some say that the A-Class will never deliver the same experience as an S-Class, but it might with a little help from the Maybach division.
Maybach is a name as old as time itself. However, in 2004, Mercedes brought it back as a way to compete with Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Some say that models like the 57S didn't work because they cost $300,000 yet looked so much like an S-Class. Yet after a long hiatus, they tried again, this time by actually leaving the cars looking almost exactly like the S-Class.
Prices went a little down too. An S600 cost about $200,000 a few years ago, making you wonder what would happen if the experience was based not on an S-Class, but starting with one of the least expensive Mercedes cars.
The idea is strictly for the laughs, of course. Maybach will still rely on the S-Class once the new generation arrives, the W223, though they've also added a version based on the big-boy GLS crossover. As both cars are powered by big, powerful engines, all seems right in the world of the super-rich.
However, big powerful V8s and V12s also produce lots of those naughty little CO2 emissions, which industry regulators hate. Eventually, Mercedes will probably switch the Maybach brand to electric, but as a stop-gap, the Maybach GLA and GLB seem amusing yet appropriate.
It wouldn't be the first time an automaker known for big cars created a luxury mini just because of emissions. Aston Martin famously sold the Cygnet, which was based on a smart-like car called the Toyota/Scion iQ. But they only managed to sell about 150 units.
Mercedes doesn't need to go to anybody else, and with extended wheelbase crossovers being so popular in China, a Maybach GLA or GLB doesn't seem completely far-fetched. What would that even look like? Well, just check out these cool renderings created by Russian artist Aksyonov Nikita.
Prices went a little down too. An S600 cost about $200,000 a few years ago, making you wonder what would happen if the experience was based not on an S-Class, but starting with one of the least expensive Mercedes cars.
The idea is strictly for the laughs, of course. Maybach will still rely on the S-Class once the new generation arrives, the W223, though they've also added a version based on the big-boy GLS crossover. As both cars are powered by big, powerful engines, all seems right in the world of the super-rich.
However, big powerful V8s and V12s also produce lots of those naughty little CO2 emissions, which industry regulators hate. Eventually, Mercedes will probably switch the Maybach brand to electric, but as a stop-gap, the Maybach GLA and GLB seem amusing yet appropriate.
It wouldn't be the first time an automaker known for big cars created a luxury mini just because of emissions. Aston Martin famously sold the Cygnet, which was based on a smart-like car called the Toyota/Scion iQ. But they only managed to sell about 150 units.
Mercedes doesn't need to go to anybody else, and with extended wheelbase crossovers being so popular in China, a Maybach GLA or GLB doesn't seem completely far-fetched. What would that even look like? Well, just check out these cool renderings created by Russian artist Aksyonov Nikita.
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