Saar: As speculated, it is powered by the same all-electric powertrain from the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 from last year.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury. The Germans did the honours on the eve of the 2018 Beijing Motor Show. The name, as you will probably agree, is quite a mouthful. But then this concept, which is sort of a cross-breed between a saloon and an SUV, has quite a lot to shout about. In short Mercedes-Benz lingo, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury follows the philosophy of ‘Sensual Purity’.

There is no getting away from the fact that this new concept looks remarkably similar to the one Mercedes-Benz unveiled in 2016 and christened it as the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6. That was a svelte Coupe, which was joined by its cabriolet version a year later. This one, however, is trying to do something that hasn’t been done before. Here’s what Gorden Wagener, chief design officer, Daimler AG, had to say:

“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before. Our concept combines the DNA of an SUV with that of a saloon to produce an ultra-modern SUV of three-box design. With sensuality and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of Mercedes-Maybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”

The use of fancy words to describe something so outrageous is not a new game. But what is, is that how Mercedes-Benz has managed to pull this hunkering-up business off so neatly. The massive wheelbase with short overhangs on either end, extensive use of chrome and 24-inch turbine-shaped alloy wheels make the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury (okay, we’ll use the abbreviation VMMUL from here on!) as gaudy as anything can be. The headlamp and taillamp enclosures feature a three-barrel design and look like twins with different shades of light on offer! The design of the vertically split rear window is inspired to say the least.

As you’d expect, the interiors are just as shiny as the exteriors. The cabin is bathed with soothing colour combinations including rose gold, crystal white and pearl grey. The seating position itself has been raised to make the VMMUL feel like a high-riding, pompous SUV. The cabin has acres of space, especially for the rear passengers. The driver’s area has something of a minimalistic aura about it. The cockpit has been reduced to the bare essentials. But the free-standing Widescreen Cockpit with dual 12.3-inch displays and the swanky AC air vents livens up the rest of the place. The white leather seats are accompanied by metal frames finished in rose gold.

On the tech front, there’s a lot going on. But the main highlight by far is what Mercedes-Benz calls – touch control concept. Basically, everything that the VMMUL has to offer becomes available using the touchscreen, touchpad on the centre console and the touch control buttons on the steering wheel.

Underneath, the VMMUL features four electric motors, one for each wheel. The powertrain draws its juices from an 80kWh battery pack to deliver 750PS of power. Travel distance between charges is over 500km and the top speed is limited to 250kmph. Thanks to a whopping charging capacity of up to 350kW, the VMMUL can get an extra 100km of range in just 5 minutes of charging.

That’s a lot of detailing on a product which isn’t likely to go into production. At least not as it is. But it does show where Mercedes-Benz is heading in terms of design, powertrain and luxury. The company is currently working on GLS SUV to make it worthy enough to carry the Mercedes-Maybach badge. It should surface by the end of this year.