Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury Concept Looms Large At Chinese Expo

We’ve seen the teasers. We’ve seen the leaked photos. Now Daimler has officially lifted the veil off its latest concept.

Debuting at the Beijing Auto Show this week, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury concept showcases a new ultra-high-end crossover from the German automaker. And it could very well stand to preview the next-generation production GLS.

The Vision Ultimate Luxury sits high like an SUV. But instead of a wagon body-style it adopts a three-box form. So it has a conventional trunk like a sedan, not the liftgate that you’d find most SUVs. Sorta like a Suzuki X90, only bigger. Much bigger: At 5260 millimeters (207 inches) long, 2110 mm (83”) wide, and 1764 mm (69”) tall, the concept is massive. Longer and wider than the current GLS, but sitting shorter to the road.

Onto that shape, Mercedes has applied signature Maybach design elements. The narrow headlights flank a finely slatted grille. Like the one we first saw on the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 coupe concept (and recently applied to the Maybach S-Class). The 24-inch wheels look suitably oversized. The bodywork is done up in several coats of red metallic for a deeply lustrous finish. And it’s trimmed with more chrome than a motorcycle rally.

Inside it looks as luxurious as you’d expect, in an entirely modern way, with eye-catching trim that could only be found in a concept. The cabin is done up all in white and rose gold, with ebony wood trim and twin freestanding 12.3-inch displays. A low dashboard lends a feeling of openness, aided by the enormous glass panels in the roof. Despite its large form, Mercedes has only fitted four seats. But those free-floating thrones look more opulent than anything this side of a private jet. Which is only fitting, because the crossover is designed – as per Chinese tastes – to be driven by chauffeur, not by its owner.

Rather than fitting the big V8 or V12 engines available in the Maybach S-Class, the concept is driven by a quartet of electric motors (like the Vision 6). Together they produce a massive 750 horsepower (550 kW). The 80 kWh battery under the floor gives it a range of over 200 miles. (That’s by US standards, or 500 kilometers on the new European cycle.) No word on acceleration, but it’s said to be capable of reaching an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). And with a 350 kW charging capacity, it can charge up for a 100-kilometer (62-mile) trip in just five minutes. It even incorporates wireless inductive charging for added convenience. Because who wants to have to actually plug in their plug-in, or even have their driver do it for them?

“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before,” said Daimler’s chief designer Gorden Wagener. “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.”

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