The tweaked Maybach Vision Ultimate Luxury landed on the Beijing stand of German premium partner Mercedes-Benz. Looking like nothing else on the market, this is a bloated notchback saloon car grafted to a high-riding SUV chassis - a kind of SUV in a posh tuxedo suit.
The 5.26-metre car is massive and almost certainly aimed at the Chinese market where luxury barges are in demand.
Maybach is clearly keen to capture a chunk of the high-end market for ultra-luxury off-roaders, currently occupied by the Bentley Bentayga and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
The Vision Ultimate Luxury rides on huge 24-inch wheels which look like turbine rotors and it features slit-like LED headlamps up front just like Maybach's previous concepts from 2016 and 2017.
Power for the concept comes from four electric motors with a combined output of 750 horsepower which is good enough for a top speed of 250kph.
Maybach says the zero-emission edition of the saloon SUV can cover 500km between charges. A battery top up along the way takes less than five minutes and adds 100km of travel. A V8 petrol engine is likely to drive a production version.
The sumptuous interior reflects this car’s premium position, with a mix of white leather, wood and rose gold all bathed in ambient light. The seats are generous and can be folded down flat. In keeping with the trend away from analogue controls, a large touchscreen dominate the cockpit.
The car’s centre console extends from the front seats to the rear, and between the two rear seats nestles an elegant tea set.
The SUV is expected to sit on the same platform as the new Mercedes-Benz GLS. According to the British motoring gazette Autocar, a final version of the Maybach may be at the Los Angeles auto show later this year.
