Skip advert
Advertisement

Maybach 62S

Maybach's awesome supersaloon gets an update

Overall Auto Express rating

2.0

How we review cars
Find your next car here
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car
Advertisement

It’s difficult to rationalise this Maybach’s existence. The standard car was never criticised for its lack of performance or dynamics, yet those are the areas on which Merc has inexplicably focused. It would take a very generous captain of industry to buy one over the normal 62, because it is his chauffeur who will benefit the most. And captains of industry don’t get to waft around in £340,000 cars by being generous!

Advertisement - Article continues below

When a car manufacturer announces a brand new model with more power, sharper dynamics and greater driver involvement – as with the Mercedes-McLaren SLR – it’s normally a cause for celebration.

But when that particular vehicle is one of the world’s most expensive chauffeur-driven limousines, it makes you wonder exactly who will be benefiting... So we took to the driver’s seat of the enormous new Maybach 62S in order to find out.

Launched this week, the imposing if ugly supersaloon gets the same mighty 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 as last year’s 52S, which pumps out a barely believable 612bhp. With ample power to rocket from 0-60mph in just over five seconds, the 2,855kg Maybach will charge on to a limited top speed of 155mph.

In-gear thrust is relentless, and if you are lucky enough to be sat in the back, it becomes a near-silent neck-straining force that pushes you deep into the 62’s impossibly comfortable aeroplane-style seats. Firm-ing the car’s suspension and fitting massive 20-inch Michelin low-profile tyres has not significantly detracted from the large Maybach’s ability to waft along at high speed. However, you can now feel and hear smaller intrusions than before, which make the big car’s urban ride quality feel slightly brittle and sharp.

With its mind-boggling collection of multi-media functions, the rear compartment is still the most luxurious cabin ever to travel on the road. But for all its cosseting comfort and opulence, it’s curiously bereft of any charm or style whatsoever. In comparison, a Rolls-Royce Phantom has far fewer clever extras, much less room and its gentleman’s club seats might as well be deckchairs compared to those in the Maybach. Never-theless, it seems infinitely more special and atmospheric.

As a result, well heeled owners of the German marque’s 62S might find themselves feeling more than a little short-changed. There is nothing the extra money has bought them that would not be delivered by the standard machine – which costs a staggering £81,000 less.

Up front where the chauffeur sits, however, things are admittedly a little different. The 62S is marginally better to drive than the ‘basic’ May-bach. It’s slightly faster, and turns into bends more eagerly.

Yet while these dynamic factors might score highly with the hired help, they are unlikely to be of very much interest to the man who is going to be paying the bills. Chauffeurs across the world will simply have to carry on dreaming!

Skip advert
Advertisement

Our latest car deals

Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £28,085Avg. savings £1,458 off RRP*Compare Offers
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,155Avg. savings £2,485 off RRP*Compare Offers
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £29,735Avg. savings £5,267 off RRP*Compare Offers
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,505Avg. savings £3,518 off RRP*Compare Offers
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price
MG4 - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new MG4 long-range EV for a ridiculously low price

The MG4 is one of our favourite EVs on account of its sheer value for money. It’s our Deal of the Day for 11 December
News
11 Dec 2024
ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers
Nissan Cube

ZEV Mandate to spoil Christmas for 1,000s of petrol and diesel car buyers

Got an ICE car on order? Don’t bet on collecting it before the New Year…
News
10 Dec 2024
Car Deal of the Day: Kia Sportage SUV is stunning value at just £260 a month
Kia Sportage - main image

Car Deal of the Day: Kia Sportage SUV is stunning value at just £260 a month

The Kia Sportage is a top-selling car and it’s easy to see why. It’s our Deal of the Day for 10 December
News
10 Dec 2024