Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXI

2 5 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I This time, there’s no pretending it’s something it’s not. The new Maybach is now badged as a Mercedes- Maybach S 600, making it clear that it’s part of the Mercedes S-Class family, rather than being a brand of its own, but very much the flagship of the range. It’s all part of a larger plan to introduce the Maybach brand across a wider range of Mercedes models, which will include a convertible and SUV later down the track so that it will become the luxury division of Mercedes- Benz. At the same time, AMG will tone down its luxury presence and become the sports-focused member of the Mercedes family. It makes perfect sense and the S 600 is the perfect way to bring the Maybach name back into the fold. My initial fears that it was to be little more than a specced-up S-Class were set aside the moment I laid eyes on it because the first thing I noticed was its size. At over six metres, it’s a full 200mm longer than the long wheelbase S-Class and as I found out later, it’s made quite a beautiful impact on the interior space for the rear seat occupants. The second thing I noticed was that while it looks similar to the S-Class from front on, in profile it displays a heightened elegance brought on by heavy chrome trimming around the windows and shiny, satellite dish- sized, 20-inch, chromed alloys which when combined with the window garnish give it a very Bentley Mulsanne-esque profile. As it’s hoped that most owners will be the ones riding in the back, attention to detail has gone into everything behind the B-pillar, so for the driver and front passenger,