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Mercedes-Maybach S-Class tries on a pinstriped suit to look more dignified

Ronan Glon
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Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re rich, you drive a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. If you’re super-rich, you drive a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The German automaker updated its flagship model with a more stately design that points the way forward as Maybach prepares to once again expand its lineup.

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Mercedes-Maybach — which Mercedes parent company Daimler spun off into a subdivision in 2015 — offers two models, named S560 and S650, respectively. Both evolved from the S-Class, and until now it took a well-trained eye to tell the Maybach apart from the Benz. That’s no longer the case. Every Maybach-branded limousine receives a new grille with chromed vertical slats and a discreet emblem embedded into the top part of the frame. Mercedes’ emblematic three-pointed star proudly remains on the hood.

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The brand explains its latest design language draws inspiration from the elegant pinstriped suits often found resting on the soft leather that’s draped across the cabin. It also creates a visual link to the 20-foot long Vision 6 concept introduced at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August of 2016. While it’s not a confirmation that the concept will spawn a production model, as rumors persistently claim, it proves the Vision 6 at least had a significant influence on Maybach’s design direction.

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Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Ronan Glon/Digital Trends
Mercedes-Maybach S-Class live
Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Maybach also added a two-tone paint job (pictured) to the list of extra-cost options. It’s offered in nine color combinations. New-look 20-inch alloy wheel designs and two additional interior color combinations round out the list of aesthetic changes for the 2019 model year.

The changes are only skin-deep. The S560 carries on with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that sends 463 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via Mercedes’ time-tested 4-Matic all-wheel drive system. Nicer inside and correspondingly more expensive, the S650 boasts a majestic 6.0-liter V12 that places 621 hp and 738 lb-ft. of torque under the driver’s right foot. The 12-cylinder only comes with rear-wheel drive, and it makes enough power for a 0-to-60-mph sprint of 4.6 seconds.

The 2019 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class will make its public debut in a few short weeks at the Geneva Auto Show. The firm will release pricing closer to the limousine’s on-sale date, which is set for this summer. For what it’s worth, the current model starts at $168,00 before buyers pile on options.

Update: added live photos.

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
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