Mercedes-Maybach S580 First Drive Review: Is It The Best Car In The World?

In a quest to find out what makes the S-Class become the Mercedes-Maybach S580, we lived with it, and here's what we felt about it.

If showing off that you are a victorious individual has a meaning for a car buzz, it has to be the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The long limousine with the elegance of a tuxedo and as infrequent as a rare diamond is now manufactured in India. However, the Indian production unit of the German marque only assembles the Mercedes-Maybach S580. Interestingly, it is booked for almost a year, making us wonder why people want to buy this behemoth of a sedan. What’s so special about it that Mercedes-Benz charges you Rs 2.57 crore? Notably, the top-spec trim with dual-tone paint job has an even loftier price tag. To find an answer to all our queries, we spent a couple of days with the car, and here’s what we felt. No, the sentiments are not biased. It definitely was challenging to encounter flaws in this engineering marvel.

Mercedes-Maybach S580 Review: Smarmy Silhouette?

The saloons are referred to as three-box cars. The Maybach S580 defines these words in utmost honesty. I admire its silhouette to the core. The extremely-long bonnet sits low and wide. It gets the tri-arrow-logo hood ornament, and a chrome strip runs across its centre. The nose is nearly flat with a gigantic metallic grille. LED headlamps are slim and look identical to the S-Class. The new bumper fetches more chrome here, making the front end look premium.

The wheelbase is lengthier than the S-Class, and the boot makes the limo look proportionate. The large 19-inch monoblock wheels are exquisite. The triple-M logo and added quarter glass on the c-pillar divulge the exotic bit of the Maybach S580. The tail section is identical to the S, but it gets the Maybach moniker to uphold distinction from the base. Unarguably, the Maybach S580 has a notable road presence.

With a length of 5,469 mm, width of 2,109 mm, and height of 1,510 mm, it isn’t small by any standard. The wheelbase stands at 3,396 mm, making it feel like a yacht. The design is alluring but packs in an understated elegance. The palatial silhouette remains a strong aesthetical attribute of the Mercedes-Maybach S580.

Mercedes-Maybach S580 Review: Cabin Cocoons?

The Maybach S580 is bought with a philosophy - to be chauffeured on a throne. Calling it a throne has an emotional value hooked, but it quintessentially is a recliner with controls of all amenities pitched at the reach of your hand. Yes, you cannot reach the door to close it. So, just wave, and the soft touch door comes to a close on its own. See, we said, at the reach of your hand. Once the door is shut, the seat can be reclined, while lower leg supports can be raised, as the motor whines up, and its sound reveals the silent nature of the cabin.

Pretty understandable. Rear seats are the comfiest we’ve ever seen on a car. Yes, three can sit abreast if needed. Dropping down the armrest reveals a tablet, mimicking MBUX for other controls. Of course, there are sun blinds, electronically controlled. Speaking of space, it is in acres. Larger than a 2 BHK of Mumbai is the carpet area on the Mercedes-Maybach S580.

Move on to the front row, and it is easy to figure out, the Maybach is based on an S-Class. A lot of parts come from the same bin. Despite this fact, Mercedes has worked to lend it a unique feel-good factor. The steering wheel gains a Maybach logo, and the seat feels comfortable with extra cushioning. The MBUX system is identical, it offers the Maybach driving mode. Find more about it in the next few paras. Well, the ambient lighting is crisp on the May and uplifts the ambience.

In summation, it is a cabin that isn’t about the feature list but more about the build quality, touch and feel, exotic materials, creature comforts, and space. There are roughly all the features you can think of. So much so, the rear centre console can be had with a champagne cooler and glass holders. To keep you safe, there are 13 airbags in total.

Mercedes-Maybach S580 Review: Boring To Drive?

The ride quality of the S580 has the highest order of finesse to it. There are multiple drive modes on offer. The Maybach and Sport remained my favourites. The former tweaks the air suspension to enable a flying carpet-like ride. The accelerator pedal offers a flat response, as the mode is intended to restrict the squatting of the car. The S580 rolls off in second gear in this mode.

Dial in Sport, and soon you realise there’s something exhilarating inside that enormous bonnet. Well, it is a 4.0L V8 powerhouse with a turbocharger and mild-hybrid tech. It produces nearly 500 PS and 750 Nm of peak torque. The transmission is a 9-speed unit, and its existence can be felt only in this mode. Why? The shifts are smoothened out for a rather jitter-free drive.

Swift, it indeed is. The top speed is limited to 250 kmph, considering the 2.3 tonnes of mass. The 0-100 kmph sprint takes only 5 seconds. While it puts down all the power on the road, there’s hardly any drama inside the cabin. Only the V8’s rumble at high revs can be heard to make you smile with joy.

Air springs on the Maybach S580 operate flawlessly in ironing the bumps out. Also, the brakes on this chariot are exemplary at bringing it to a stop in time. Talking of the steering wheel, it manages to gain weight as per the speed and driving modes, but manoeuvring the S580 in tight parking spaces or while taking a U-turn on narrow roads is a task. A yacht is what it feels like.

Mercedes-Maybach S580 Review: Best Car Indeed!

The Mercedes-Maybach S580 epitomises an aspirational value for folks driven in an S-Class or likes. Embodying perfection to new heights, its price at Rs 2.57 Crore feels right. Won't be wrong to say that the Maybach S580 is deservant of adjectives like exquisite, exotic, palatial, sumptuous, celestial and more. The Mercedes-Maybach S580 is a saloon of high stature and for folks with a 'Wolf in Sheep Skin' attitude. Those with Babylonian character might want to look elsewhere.