2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC - MBUX Infotainment explained

The Maybach GLS 600 is a monument to the German carmaker’s meticulous craftsmanship. And every inch of it gives you the feeling of living in the lap of luxury. It is not just a lavish car with first-class styled seating but also a technological marvel. Speaking of technology, Mercedes-Benz’s MBUX is the centre of attention in this Maybach GLS. It is a machine that can simply play music for you or perform complicated tasks needed for basic autonomous driving. Let us find out more about the MBUX and what it does.

We have experienced a fascinating evolution from the classic cassette players to the present ultramodern touchscreen displays. MBUX is one such advanced infotainment system - a combination of artificial intelligence and a cutting edge on-board computer. Every Mercedes-Benz car is outfitted with two different screens that contain a whale of information about the car, electronically operated mechanicals and music.

The classy Maybach GLS 600 also has two displays and they are also the biggest - 12.3-inch - in terms of the MBUX user interface. Every Merc has somewhat identical graphics and primary functions. Having said that, a car like AMG or Maybach comes with some distinguishing features - also depending on their equipment list. For instance, Mercedes-Benz has exclusively tailored the MBUX in this Maybach GLS.

Once you enter the vehicle, the instrument cluster shows the iconic Maybach emblem while the other screen displays Maybach lettering. On the other hand, when the driver closes his/her door, the display in front of them - through a fade-in animation, shows a replica of the front end of the Maybach GLS. Apart from the animation and emblem, both displays feature a typical MBUX home screen interface.

The driver information display has two analogue dials - a speedometer and a tachometer. In between them, the extra space makes up for the digital speedometer and other information that the driver has selected. In fact, the most interesting feature in this display is the full-screen maps - once a destination is fixed, the driver can choose whether they like to see the maps on the infotainment screen or the main one. In addition to that, most of vehicle and entertainment-related features can also be accessed via the instrument cluster.

Like every other Mercedes-Benz car, this Maybach GLS 600 gets many driving modes. However, there are two special modes in this Maybach compared to the standard GLS - Maybach and Curve. An onboard computer governs the suspension, transmission and engine; they all can be customised via the driving mode selector in the middle screen.

Now we come to the crux of the MBUX - user interface and features. The infotainment display is very intuitive with a quicker touch-to-display response time like a modern smartphone with higher touch sampling rate. On the other hand, the home screen of this infotainment system has a few accessible primary menu functions - phone, navigation, radio, music, Mercedes Me, apps and settings. In order to explore more features, a secondary menu has also been provided.

The Maybach GLS comes with plenty of features that can be operated via the centre screen. For example, a dedicated section in the menu lets you turn on/off seat massage, ventilation or heating functions. Moreover, in most mercs, there are four ways to operate the infotainment - steering mounted switches, trackpad, touchscreen and a rather fancy way is using voice commands.

To sum up, the MBUX in the Maybach GLS 600 is one of the best infotainment setups available in the market. It is as good as a smartphone to operate, easy to understand and more importantly, the system is very practical. Meanwhile, the best way to use the infotainment unit is either through steering mounted switches or voice commands, because you do not want to take your eyes off the road while driving.

Picture credits - Kapil Angane and Kaustubh Gandhi