2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600: Up Close

As the first Cars.com editor to view in person the Mercedes-Maybach S600 detailed in our earlier report, I can corroborate that it is indeed a larger S-Class with some extra badges on it.

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That might be diminishing it too much, because it also has finer interior materials and gizmos, as billed to go along with the new high-end name of Maybach. The backseat is indeed cavernous, which makes it both unique and of extremely limited appeal in the U.S. market. The requisite reclining seats are here; the primary difference being that there’s enough legroom for adults of decent heights to use the leg rests — unlike some limousine-style luxury sedans that include the ottomans regardless.

Included are aircraft-grade aluminum tray tables that similarly emerge from the center armrest (think exit row — or presumably first class, with which I’m tragically unfamiliar). There’s a little refrigerator behind the center armrest, which isn’t unique among luxury sedans. What is unique is how much the rear part of it extends into the trunk.

It’s not likely to cause problems because the trunk remains large — and if you’re being driven around in this thing, you probably have your staff bring your luggage to the airport ahead of you in an AMG vehicle to minimize delays and avoid any unwanted interaction with baggage-touching common folk.

While viewing the introductory video at the car’s press introduction, I saw something spectacular I thought the Maybach could call its own: little door speaker pods that rotate while emerging once the Burmester stereo is activated — a piece of theater that puts Bang & Olufsen’s rising tweeters to shame. It turned out this feature is also found on other top-level S-Class sedans (with which I’m tragically unfamiliar).

Maybach is a name that has resounded nowhere outside of Stuttgart, Germany. Likewise, the Mercedes-Maybach is likely to resound with few buyers and practically no onlookers. It’s a big S-Class, and that’s a good thing. The Maybach appellation does nothing to change that.

Cars.com photos by Evan Sears