It is one of the largest and most luxurious cars we have driven till date. Yes, we are talking about the Mercedes Maybach S600, the German automaker’s new top-of-the-line super sedan for the Indian market. Now putting the words top 10 features and Maybach requires some serious decision-making skills as there is just too much to choose from. However, because of what we do, this is not a very hard job for us and so we have delved into the intricacies of the Maybach S600 to provide you with a list of its top 10 features.
1. 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12Let us begin with the granddaddy of all the things in the Maybach, the one item that puts the 600 in Maybach S600.This is a refined and smooth petrol drinking 12-cylinder beast churning out 530bhp and a massive 800Nm of torque. All this goes to the rear wheels via a seven-speed AT. The output may not seem like much when you consider the size of the engine but its more than enough to keep you cruising above 140kmph without any real effort involved.
2. Sixteen-way seat massagers Had a long day stressing over which company to buy? Having trouble deciding which new start-up deserves your many crore? Let the sixteen way hot/cold seat massager (for all four occupants!) de-stress your body and ease your mind into the thinking zone. It can be controlled from the front or back and is guaranteed to give you peace of mind.
3. Safety featuresThe list of safety features being offered on the Maybach S600 is huge. There are eight airbags, traction control, ESP, ABS with EBD, seatbelt pretensioners and even something called PRE-SAFE Impulse which prepares the car to protect the occupants in the event of an unavoidable crash. Further, the car also gets active park assist and crosswind assist.
4. Heating and cooling cup holdersThis maybe a small addition to what is, in essence, a very luxurious car but it is an important one. Imagine that you are coming back to the car after spending hours surveying land for your new multi-crore industrial complex. It is quite hot outside and generally barren earth means the ambient temperature feels much higher than what it reads. You step into the car, the climate control is on and you reach down for your bottle of overpriced Himalaya water and it is chilled! The first drop entering your parched throat makes your mind react the same way Katrina Kaif does after her first sip of Slice. So much effect, such a small thing, do I need to say anything more?
5. Multiple proximity camerasModern India is going through a very strange issue when it comes to buying vehicles. We have the spending power but hardly any of the infrastructure to match. In a basic sense, there are too many people attempting to use the same bit of public road and that can be a frightening thing when you take into context the proportions of this car. Considering this, Mercedes-Benz has fitted this car with multiple cameras and proximity sensors to help you avoid anything or anyone that will cause damage to the car. Globally, the cameras are assisted by a radar technology that aids the car preparing for the road ahead. But our antiquated regulations means we do not get this feature even as an optional extra.
6. Ambient lightingIt may now be a common feature across various cars, but it would pay heed to remember that the S-Class was one of the first to offer ambient lighting as an option. In essence a colour to suit your mood, the shades can be selected using the COMAND system and can even be adjusted for intensity depending on your state of mind. We personally liked the dark Blue as well as white which were the shades on display during our time with the car.
7. Photo chromatic sunroof and moon roofThe concept of a sunroof and moon roof is quite common in cars of this size and price range but to have the option of blocking out the sunlight and just getting some of the warm glow from outside seems to be a new thing. At the press of a button, you can have the roof retract or let it turn translucent to give you further protection from the elements. It’s also a good measure against people standing on the top of freeways or bridges aiming to peep into the cabin and see what’s going on.
8. Cabin spaceThe Mercedes Maybach S600 has a wheelbase of 3365mm which is massive. To put things into perspective, the Tata Nano, which is basically the smallest car sold in the country, is 3164mm in total length! Designed strictly for four people, the cabin is massive, luxurious and has oodles of space all around. It was more than enough for me (I’m 6.0-feet tall) to stretch my feet out and sit like a king in the backseat.
9. NVH insulationA sign of a good luxury car is that the sounds of the outside world are kept to a minimum leaving you (the owner) to sit in peace. The cabin is amazingly quiet with almost no noise of any kind even when you go north of 140kmph. It’s calm, refined and sometimes unnerving when you look outside the window and see the world pass by in a flash.
10. Bragging rights
The Maybach brand name is one that goes back a long way in our modern history. The company had a chequered history till around 1960 dabbling in luxury cars and assisting the German war effort during both the global battles. The proper revival took place in 1997 with new models and global dealers. However, this was not meant to be and finally the name was laid to rest in 2013. But this was some sort of ruse as Mercedes-Benz revived the brand name under the S-Class banner and it now looks like the moniker may finally have a shot at success this time around. Everyone likes to tell a good story when it comes to their expensive acquisitions and this one should be no less epic when retold in full detail.
