Mercedes Downsizes The Gargantuan Maybach S-Class For China

Published April 30, 2021
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Dubbed the S480, the 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine is exclusive to the China-specific Maybach S-Class

Of late, downsizing has been a trend from most manufacturers to ensure their portfolio meets the stringent emission standards popping up everywhere. Joining the trend is the uber luxurious Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which comes with a six-cylinder petrol engine for the first time ever in the Chinese market.

The new variant, dubbed the S480, is powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine developing 367PS of power and 500Nm of torque. A 48v mild hybrid system gives short boosts of 22PS under hard acceleration. Paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, the S480 drives all four wheels instead of the rear-wheel drivetrain of the S580.

Performance is quite brisk despite the downsizing as it does 0-100kmph in 5.8 seconds. Push the pedal further and it will hit an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph.

	Mercedes-Maybach S480 4MATIC	Mercedes-Maybach S580
Engine	3.0-litre six-cylinder	4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Power (PS)	367PS	496PS
Torque (Nm)	500Nm	700Nm
Transmission Option	9-speed automatic	9-speed automatic
0-100kmph Time	5.8 seconds	NA

Fun Fact: The China-spec Maybach S-Class’ engine can be found under the hood of the India-spec GLS petrol!

Apart from the smaller petrol engine, the Maybach S-Class is quite similar to the European model. So it retains that opulent cabin which could give first-class private jets a serious nightmare while the exterior is as majestic as it can ever get. We have written a meticulously detailed article about the S-Class and you should consider giving it a read by clicking here.

Closer to home, Mercedes will launch the Maybach S-Class after the standard model goes on sale later this year. It should retain that creamy smooth V8 petrol engine, and could be priced around the Rs 2 crore mark (ex-showroom). But the S480 could be a good fit for India considering it offers decent performance at a lower price point. At the end of the day, most of the owners will be spending their time in the opulent first class lounge-like rear seats rather than behind the wheel.