Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury: a Name that Says it All
No need to write a book to explain what the German automaker is seeking to demonstrate with its new concept vehicle. Unveiled at the Auto China 2018 show in Beijing, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is inspired by a design philosophy the company calls Sensual Purity.
The vehicle is described as being a real crossover, with the DNA of both an SUV and a sedan, created to please a global clientele, but especially the Chinese market. It’s slightly long and just as wide as a Mercedes-Benz GLS, so it’s pretty big. The manufacturer flaunts its interior space, its comfort and its high seating position in addition to its uniqueness and customising potential.
- Also: Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet: Maximum Extravagance
- Also: Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet: Breathtaking!
Its exterior design is highlighted by a chrome grille with vertical strips, chrome trim and 24-inch, turbine-shaped alloy wheels. We even find a thin chrome pinstripe that starts at the base of the hood ornament and extends across the roof and onto the trunk. A separate trunk, like on a car.
The cockpit layout is simply marvellous, with diamond-pattern leather on the seats, which also feature rose gold framing. The uncluttered dashboard boasts two digital flatscreens placed side by side, while illuminated, thin wavy lines enhance the wood beltline trim. It’s called Magic Wood, by the way.
However, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury emphasises rear-seat opulence, for those who will be chauffeured. Aside from two individual and multi-adjustable seats, there’s a centre console that houses an integrated and heated tray with a teapot and cups. It seems as though sipping tea on the road brings body and mind into balance, and helps discover the path to inner calm and vitality. Mercedes’ words, not ours.
The vehicle can even anticipate the experience desired by its occupants, and can choose the right music, the perfect flavour of tea and the seat massage program according to the mood of the moment. The company’s ENERGIZING comfort control system is included here, a feature that was recently introduced in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Underneath the elegant bodywork are a fully electric powertrain and an all-wheel drivetrain, consisting of four electric motors producing a combined 750 horsepower. The battery pack has a capacity of about 80 kWh, allowing for a driving range of more than 500 kilometres on the NEDC cycle (Europe) or more than 320 km on the EPA cycle (United States). Top speed is said to be limited to 250 km/h. As for charging, it can be performed by wire, or wireless by induction, thanks to an electromagnetic field under the vehicle.
For now, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is only a concept.