Skip to main content

Mercedes-Benz to kill Maybach in 2013

maybach-62-s
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Riding in the lap of luxury is about to get a little more cramped: Mercedes will reportedly kill its super-high-end Maybach brand in 2013, according to company insiders who spoke with AutoWeek. The gold-colored void will be filled with a new, higher-end S-class.

The reason for the allegedly impending death of Maybach is, of course, lower than expected sales of the Maybach 57 and Maybach 62, each of which cost between $375,000 and $430,000, respectively. The company had originally hoped to sell at least 800 Maybach models a year. Last year, the company sold fewer than 200 Maybachs worldwide.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that it is better to cut our losses with Maybach than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations,” said AutoWeek’s source. “Plans are already in place to fill the void left by the axing of the Maybach 57 and 62 with the next-generation S-class, which will be offered in three wheelbase variations and six different body styles, including a top-of-the-range S600 Pullman.”

In contrast to the low-selling Maybach, Mercedes sells about 80,000 S-class models, which start at about $92,000, each year. Dieter Zetsche, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz’s parent company, Daimler AG, says he believes the company can double sales of the S-class line.

Despite the fate of Maybach, the ultra-luxury car market is far from struggling. Bentley and Rolls Royce have apparently had success by offering a number of lower-end models, which only put buyers out between $180,00 and $300,000 — a downright bargain, don’t you think?

Editors' Recommendations

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Mercedes-Benz brings ChatGPT voice control to its cars
The interior of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle.

The AI-powered chatbot that’s taken the world by storm this year is gradually edging its way into various parts of our lives, including our cars.

Keen for a piece of the action, Mercedes-Benz announced recently that it’s bringing ChatGPT to voice control in its vehicles as part of a plan to make its Hey Mercedes voice assistant “even more intuitive.”

Read more
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept looks to the past for inspiration
Overhead view of the Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept.

Mercedes-Benz this week unveiled a new electric concept car that looks back as well as forward. It's called the Vision One-Eleven, and it's a reminder that car designers have a long history of predicting the future.

The Vision One-Eleven is inspired by the C111 series of experimental vehicles that first appeared in 1969. With their aerodynamic styling, roof-hinged gullwing doors, and distinctive orange paint, the C111 cars became fixtures of auto show stands and car-magazine features throughout the 1970s. They were more than show cars, though, testing then-trendy ideas like fiberglass body panels and rotary engines.

Read more
The Mercedes-AMG EQE might be the best luxury EV right now
The Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan exhibits the same bulbous looks as every Mercedes EV.

The EV world is seriously heating up. Great EVs are getting cheaper, and cheap EVs are getting better -- and while we still have a long way before they're truly affordable for everyone, that reality seems to be at least in sight. But not everyone wants a great car at a reasonable price. Some simply want a luxurious driving experience and are willing to pay for it.

If that's you, I think I've found the car for you -- the Mercedes-AMG EQE.

Read more