Mercedes Déjà vu

When Mercedes Benz resurrected the Maybach brand in 1997, it was for the purpose of competing in the niche ultra-luxury limousine market segment.  The two primary models, the 57 and the 62, redefined automobile opulence and comfort when they were released in 2002. But exactly a decade later, Mercedes is retiring the brand due to less than stellar sales. Mercedes' new plan is to bring ultra-luxury cars under the Mercedes brand to the market. They say the upcoming S Class (tentatively called the W222 model, will be offered in as many as six variants. Some will be made as the staple flagship S Class and some will be made to cater to the ultra-luxury market. This is an inherently flawed plan.

They reckon that the Mercedes and S Class brands are more recognisable and will therefore fare better in the ultra-luxury market. While it is true that the Mercedes brand is more recognisable, I think Mercedes is mistaken in thinking that an S Class will be well-received by most buyers in the ultra-luxury market. The reasons for this are the very nature of the buyers in this niche market as well as the lineup of the current S Class. The current S Class, the W221 model, already has different variants. I’m not referring to the various mainstream models like the S350, S400, S550 and so on. I mean the more specialized variants: The CL coupe and the S600 Pullman.  The Pullman is nothing more than a standard S Class in pure limousine form. In other words, a stretched S Class.

The Pullman in itself should prove the flaw in Mercedes’ new strategy. By its very nature, it fits the definition of an ultra-luxury vehicle. It could even be argued that it has better utility than all the other established marques seeing as it can seat four people in the rear. But utility or practicality is not exactly a high priority for most ultra-luxury customers. This is often reflected in the absurd personalizations that many of them request for. A prime example is the Bugatti Veyron. It is not a very practical car; much less a practical sports or super car. And yet it continues to sell well.

What Mercedes’ new strategy means is that a Pullman-esque version will be made for the ultra-luxury market. The problem here is that it is still just an S Class. No matter how they kit or equip it, it will still be seen as just another S Class. Especially if it has the same headlamps and general bodystyle as the mainstream or 'junior' models. Because of this, buyers in the ultra-luxury market are not likely to see it as suitable. It is obvious that from their new plan that Mercedes does not fully understand the ultra-luxury market. As said earlier, majority of the buyers in this market segment are not so much interested in practicality. They just want a showy piece of machinery. It is all about ostentatiousness. They have a desire to further distinguish themselves in society and the S Class brand is just not capable of doing that because it is too common and also because the public will still see it as just another S Class regardless of its price or trim; something ultra-luxury customers are desperately trying to avoid. I reckon this is the reason why the S63 and S65 don't sell in high numbers. Because other than their unhinged performance, restyled bumpers, side-skirts, and acoustically tuned exhausts, they are in every inch the same car as their slightly less powerful brethren coupled with fact that the other junior models can have the same appearance with optional AMG body kits. If this weren’t true, then owners of Phantoms and Bentleys would have bought a 760Li or an S600 Pullman or a long wheelbase Jaguar XJ. What Mercedes needs to understand is that derivatives of mainstream models just don't have the cachet required for the ultra-luxury market.

As said earlier, the ultra-luxury segment is a niche market with very few players. Aside from the Maybach 62, the others are the Rolls Royce Phantom and the Bentley Mulsanne. The Rolls Royce Phantom is the most successful. So if Mercedes’ new strategy won’t work, what will?  To arrive at an ideal plan, we must first consider why the Maybach failed in the first place.

In terms of engine capability and performance, they are equally matched, more or less. On the inside, both cars are rather well appointed but take very different paths towards creating the ultimate ultra-luxury automobile. The Phantom evokes a sense of heritage ambiance wrapped around modern amenities. The Maybach 62 on the other hand is all modern through and through.

However, whilst designing the Maybach, it seems Mercedes did not take cognizance of some very important aspect of human nature; a book will almost always be judged by its cover. And going by the book cover analogy, the Phantom looks like a much better car. It looks more powerful, more graceful, more intimidating and statelier. It commands a greater presence. And this is where the Maybach's problems begin. Right from its exterior. Its frontal half at least. Its somewhat squat appearance makes it look like the lesser car when juxtaposed with the upright and muscular stance of the Phantom.

Too much like a Mercedes

For a car that intends to be different from a Mercedes, it looks too much like a Mercedes. Even a person unfamiliar with the Maybach brand and its pedigree will discern quite easily that it is a product of Mercedes.

This is not to say that the Phantom doesn't share components with BMWs. It does in fact share some mechanical components with mainstream BMW models but its exterior and interior are unlike anything in the BMW lineup. The only visible trait of BMW in the Phantom is its infotainment software which is very similar to BMW’s iDrive interface The Maybach however, is chock-full of Mercedes’ DNA and it shows. While the Phantom is built on an all new and unique chassis, the Maybach is built on the chassis of the now erstwhile W220 S Class (1999 – 2005) and the similarities are all too visible right from the front fascia all the way into the dashboard.

The point of the Maybach was to create a vehicle that was more than a Mercedes. And since the ultimate Mercedes is the S Class, it follows that the Maybach should be able to offer an experience that is substantially superior and different from the S Class. Now for the most part, it pulls it off but not in the quickest fashion. It bears too many similarities with the W220 S Class and mainstream Mercedes models in general.

Behind the prominent vertical slats on the grille's surface is the outline of a standard Mercedes grille. The headlamps have a similar shape and outline to those of the W220 S Class. The door mirrors are standard Mercedes side mirrors. The engine compartment layout is just like any other Mercedes. Even the engine cover of the latter year Maybach is exactly the same as that of current generation Mercedes models. This trend continues on the inside. Anyone familiar with a W220 will feel at home in the Maybach's cockpit. The steering wheel, turn signal stalks, wiper stalks, cruise control stalks and centre console are exactly the same as those of the W220 S Class on which the car is based. The parking brake release lever, headlamp switches, seat adjustment and memory controls, window and door mirror controls are all a standard Mercedes affair. While I understand that sharing parts helps to keep manufacturing costs down, Mercedes could have kept the similarities to a minimum or completely invisible. After inspecting the front fascia and the dashboard, a prospective buyer will most likely conclude that the car is no more than a pimped-up version of the W220. And this is the problem. Because beyond the familiar front fascia and dashboard awaits a very beautiful and distinct vehicle. The seat design is exquisite and is unlike anything in the Mercedes lineup. The rear compartment of the 67 is miles ahead of that of the Phantom and in my opinion, a much better place to be. The fully reclining aircraft style seats with full massage, butterfly-style head rests, neck pillows and foot rests are comfort features that the Phantom lacks. All the Phantom has at the rear is a plush leather sofa, two LCD screen and unusable tables. But because the Phantom has a distinct and more graceful exterior, it wins buyers over. These similarities are also likely to make Mercedes customers look elsewhere as they are looking for a different feel and experience.

Pricey Options

While both cars have base models which can be personalised on a bespoke basis, there are a standard list of options which can be fitted to each car. The prices for many of the 67's options are needlessly stratospheric. While I understand that high prices are meant to reflect the car's cachet, I think Mercedes may have gone too far considering the base 67 costs an extra $30,000 more than the base Phantom. The smart glass moonroof for example comes at a price of $15,000. The optional partition separating the front from the rear comes in at $30,000.

No Coupe Version

There was no official Maybach coupe. The unofficial one was designed by specialist group Xenatech in 2011. The car known as the Maybach 57S Xenatech Coupe had a price tag of $1m. This price was understandable considering the coupe began life as a standard 57S which was then heavily altered through a process of cutting, welding and fabrication of a new rear end. Xenatech incurred R&D costs for this. It was an extremely beautiful car but its price tag was just unrealistic. It also didn’t help that its centre stack design had been superseded by that of the newer W221 S Class. Indeed this is a problem that plagued the Maybach line ever since the W221 S Class was released in 2007. Mercedes should have made this coupe themselves and offered it for a more realistic price. But it would still have been plagued by its dated electronics.

Pointless Updates, Point Models and Pointless Projects 

The company also made some missteps in its updates. The 57S and 62S were essentially the same as the earlier non-S versions with the exception of a new paint job and more powerful engines. The 2009 Zeppelin models were even more ridiculous. All they brought to the table was a clumsily operated and rather pointless integrated air freshener. The Landaulet model was just plain silly.

And then there was the Exelero, a one-off model commissioned by Fulda tyres. The purpose of this project was to test speciality tyres. However, I am not entirely sure what the real purpose behind this project was. Had the alleged tyre experiment been commissioned by VW, it can be argued that the project bore fruit with the release of the Bugatti Veyron which needs specially designed tyres.

Conclusions

I don’t think retiring the Maybach brand is the answer to Mercedes’ problems. While it is true that the Mercedes brand has more popularity than the Maybach brand, it wasn’t the major cause of their problems. After all, the Bugatti brand was not well known before the introduction of the massively successful Veyron. Today, Bugatti is a household name in automotive circles. What is sorely needed is to design a whole new vehicle that is unlike anything in the Mercedes lineup. It also needs to be more upright. I also think Mercedes could have marketed the Maybach line a lot better than it did. It was pointless to use relatively unknown people as brand ambassadors. To think Jay-Z and Samuel L. Jackson were Maybach customers and Mercedes failed or neglected to leverage their patronage is simply shocking. It represents a missed opportunity. The prices of their options also need to be reduced. The interior also needs to be simplified a bit. It has way too many storage pockets and compartments. You could literally lose something in a Maybach.

However, none of this will make a difference if Mercedes’ new ultra-luxury effort is based on an S Class. They already did this with the Maybach 57 which was truly nothing more than a souped- up version of the W220 S Class. They now have the benefit of hindsight and this is the sticking point. In order to succeed, any new ultra-luxury vehicle from Mercedes needs to divest itself of any S Class traits. After all, the Rolls Royce Ghost is simply a BMW 760Li disguised in regal clothing. But it doesn’t show. And while Mercedes could argue that basing their new ultra-luxury vehicles on the S Class is a good move because of the S Class’s heritage of representing the very best of Mercedes, I say to them, there is more than one road to Nirvana.

All in all, I can’t help but feel that Mercedes is setting itself up to fail yet again by offering ultra-luxury vehicles under the S Class badge. And if the spy shots of the upcoming W222 S Class are to be believed, the dashboard AC vents are of a similar style to those of Rolls Royces and Bentleys. This just won’t help their case as they will be seen as unoriginal. Like I said earlier, there is more than one road to Nirvana.

That being said, the decision to use the Mercedes name might not be such a bad move if done properly. If only they would name the car differently. But what name could they possibly use? Here’s a modest suggestion: Mercedes Maybach. The MM logo could just become more meaningful. So will Mercedes’ plan succeed? I doubt it. But as with all things, time will tell.

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