The 2025 Mercedes Maybach GLS600 luxury SUV is not for the shy or understated. Its towering stance, relentless opulence, and six-figure price tag serve not only as a vehicle but as a mobile monument to success — or at least the appearance of it. In a world drunk on SUVs, the Maybach GLS is a black truffle sitting atop a table of cheeseburgers. But is it realistic to own, or just the perfect vehicle to take to a Diddy party?
Design-wise, the GLS600 wears a garish oversized grille, gleaming like a Bond villain’s grin. Gone are the meek pretensions of being just an S-Class on stilts. This is now an extroverted luxury monolith, an unspoken deal struck between Mercedes’ wealthiest customers and a company that’s obviously trying to keep up with Rolls Royce and Bentley.
For the record the Maybach GLS600 starts at $178,450, but with options and option packages expect to pay over $200,000 even if you configure yours while sober (my press car stickered for just over $240,000). Fuel economy is a disappointing 18MPG Highway and 13MPG City, and I would imagine not a single owner cares.
Beneath the long hood lies the ubiquitous (and delicious) Mercedes 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, massaged to deliver 550HP and 538 lb.-ft of torque. Thanks to the EQ Boost 48-volt mild hybrid system, there’s a mild jolt of electricity on takeoff — more refinement enhancer than performance tool. Zero to sixty takes just 4.7 seconds, though this is a machine built not for speed but for effortless thrust. Nevertheless, it feels as quick as its numbers indicate.
For many buyers, the Maybach GLS is not really about driving, it’s about being driven. Slip into the rear cabin and you’re greeted with a twin-throne layout that would shame most business-class seats. Reclining captain’s chairs with calf support, cooled cupholders, and individual climate zones provide an exceptionally opulent experience in the second row (a normal second row seat that can accommodate three passengers is available if you’d prefer).
Naturally, sumptuous materials abound: porcelain white Nappa leather, dark walnut trim inlaid with Maybach crests, and even a "Moonlight Edition" interior theme that bathes the cabin in ambient light designed to mimic lunar radiance. It’s theatrical, almost absurd, and completely OTT. I fully expect to see one featured soon on, “Your Friends and Neighbors”.
Yet the Maybach GLS600 rides on the same platform as the more pedestrian GLS450, and occasionally its humble origins peek through the silk curtains. Yes, the E-Active Body Control suspension scans the road and counteracts roll, but there’s no hiding 6,000 pounds of rolling indulgence. On tight switchbacks, the Maybach feels as out of place as a tuxedo in a dive bar.
Where the Maybach excels — and perhaps overdelivers — is in its silencing of the outside world. At 75 mph, the cabin is tomb-quiet with engine, road, and wind noise that have been almost completely banished. The only sound you’re likely to hear is your own sigh of satisfaction.
Technology is predictably everywhere. The updated MBUX infotainment system recognizes gestures, whispers, and even mood. The rear tablets now integrate AI-assisted concierge functions, capable of booking restaurant reservations or suggesting playlist changes depending on cabin “emotional tone.” It’s as if Mercedes wants to replace not just the chauffeur, but your therapist and personal assistant too.
There’s also the small matter of image. For those who find the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga insufficiently extroverted, the Maybach GLS offers a uniquely Teutonic form of automotive jewelry. It is less aristocratic than the Rolls, less sporty than the Bentley, and more visually ostentatious than either. And that’s precisely the point. This is not old money discretion but rather nouveau riche projection. The Maybach GLS says you’ve made it, and you’d like everyone to know.
Of course, there are flaws. The cargo space is laughable unless you select the standard rear seats, the footprint is mansion-like, and the design — particularly if you choose the two-tone paint and 23-inch turbine wheels — is a lot more Miami than Beverly Farms. Those seeking subtlety should look elsewhere, but to critique the Maybach GLS600 for its excess is to miss the point. This is a statement vehicle, a rolling reflection of affluence, engineered for those whose egos are too large for a mere sedan.
And yet, beneath the spectacle, there is genuine substance. The engineering, craftsmanship, and refinement present here are not marketing tricks. The Maybach GLS600 delivers a uniquely indulgent experience that combines German precision with unapologetic theater. In the end, the 2025 Maybach GLS600 is the automotive equivalent of wearing a silk smoking jacket to breakfast. Completely unnecessary, utterly excessive, and yet strangely irresistible. And it’s definitely not for everyone, not even everyone who can afford it.
Stephen Schutz has covered the automotive world for more than 30 years as a syndicated writer and podcast host. Read his column monthly in The Cricket.
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