What Is the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600? The SUV Expression of Maybach

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is a single-trim, heavily factory-optioned ultra-luxury SUV built on the GLS platform but engineered and appointed to Maybach’s flagship standard. It starts around $180,000, roughly $60,000 above a comparably equipped GLS 580, and went on sale in the U.S. in the second half of 2020 (Mercedes-Benz Media; Edmunds).

Maybach has spent nearly a century as Mercedes-Benz’s answer to Rolls-Royce, first as an independent marque in the 1920s and 30s, then revived in 2002 as a standalone sedan line before folding into the S-Class and, eventually, the GLS. The GLS 600 is the brand’s first SUV, and it matters for a specific reason: it takes the chauffeur-grade rear-seat experience that built Maybach’s reputation and puts it on a platform that can also tow a boat trailer or haul four sets of golf clubs to Riviera Country Club.

There’s only one trim. Mercedes doesn’t offer a “base Maybach” the way it offers a base GLS 580. Every GLS 600 that leaves the Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant carries the same starting architecture, and the differentiation happens entirely in the options catalog, which is where this vehicle starts behaving less like a car purchase and more like a bespoke commission.

Under the Hood: The 550-HP Mild-Hybrid V8 and Performance Specs

The GLS 600 uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 paired with a 48-volt EQ Boost mild-hybrid system, producing 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque in U.S. specification, sent through a 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic and 4MATIC all-wheel drive (Mercedes-Benz Media; MBUSA). Mercedes engineered this powertrain exclusively for Maybach applications.

That EQ Boost detail is easy to skip past, but it’s the clearest evidence this isn’t a rebadged GLS 580. Mercedes built this V8 as its own variant specifically for Maybach duty, not as a shared unit borrowed from a lesser trim. The mild-hybrid system adds a belt-driven starter-generator that fills in torque during gear changes and supports low-speed electric assist, which matters in a vehicle this heavy, because it smooths out the throttle response a passenger in the reclining rear seat would otherwise feel as a jolt.

Mercedes’ own U.S. figures list 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds; Edmunds independently clocked 4.8 seconds. Either number is remarkable for a vehicle that tips the scales at 6,085 lbs curb weight (Edmunds). Top speed is governed to 130 mph in the U.S. (Kelley Blue Book), though the global-market version, rated at 557 hp combined output with the hybrid boost, runs to 250 km/h (about 155 mph) and hits 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds (Mercedes-Benz India/global specifications). The discrepancy between U.S. and global horsepower figures comes down to how each market measures combined output with the electric assist factored in, not a different engine.

Inside the Cabin: Chauffeur-Grade Luxury and First-Class Comfort

The GLS 600’s interior centers on two outer rear seats that convert electronically into reclining, first-class-style seats, finished in fine Nappa leather with custom cushions and bespoke interior linings (Mercedes-Benz Media). The wheelbase runs 123.4 inches, giving rear passengers legroom that rivals a long-wheelbase S-Class.

This is the detail that separates a Maybach from an AMG-optioned GLS with nice leather: the rear seats aren’t just heated and ventilated, they recline with a calf-rest extension and adjust independently, the kind of feature you’d expect in a private jet’s first-class cabin rather than a family SUV. Buyers configuring the rear as a two-passenger executive layout, rather than the standard three-across bench, will see the seating capacity listed as four rather than five in some configurations (KBB; Edmunds; Cars.com).

Standard equipment includes MBUX infotainment, DISTRONIC adaptive cruise, and Mercedes’ full suite of active driver-assist systems (MBUSA), so the technology underpinning the GLS 600 isn’t exotic. What’s exotic is what Mercedes builds on top of it: folding rear tray tables, a rear refrigerator, champagne flute holders, and rear entertainment screens are all available as factory options, turning the second row into a rolling private lounge rather than a seat you tolerate on the way to the airport.

Pricing, Trims, and the Cost of Bespoke Customization

The GLS 600 starts at $181,350 including destination charge (Mercedes-Benz USA; Edmunds), roughly $60,000 more than a comparably equipped GLS 580. As-tested pricing on heavily optioned units has reached $243,850 to $244,000 (Car and Driver), driven almost entirely by cosmetic and comfort packages rather than mechanical upgrades.

Because there’s only one trim, the sticker price tells you almost nothing about what you’re actually getting. Two GLS 600s can differ by $60,000 and share an identical drivetrain. The Maybach Night Series design package runs approximately $25,000, two-tone paint adds roughly $18,500, and bespoke Nappa leather trim adds around $13,500 (Car and Driver). Stack those three together and you’ve already added more than $57,000 to the base price before touching rear entertainment, refrigeration, or trim-specific wheel designs.

For anyone thinking about this vehicle as more than transportation, that options sheet is worth photographing and keeping. On the secondary market and in any appraisal conversation, documented factory options carry real weight, a point worth returning to later in this piece.

Practicality Check: Towing, Cargo, and Fuel Economy in the Real World

The GLS 600 tows up to 7,700 lbs and offers 18.4 to 18.5 cu ft of cargo volume behind the rear seats, backed by full-time 4MATIC all-wheel drive (KBB; Edmunds; Mercedes-Benz Media; Car and Driver). Fuel economy is rated at 13 city / 18 highway / 15 combined mpg, with an estimated driving cost around $380 per month (Edmunds).

550 hp. 18.4 cu ft of cargo. 7,700 lbs of towing capacity. This is no showpiece.

Those numbers matter because they’re what separate the GLS 600 from something like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan or Bentley Bentayga in the minds of buyers who actually use their vehicles. A Cullinan owner isn’t hitching a horse trailer to it on a Tuesday. The GLS 600’s 7,700-lb towing figure and nearly 18.5 cubic feet of cargo room mean this Maybach can plausibly handle a boat run to Newport Beach or a full load of ski gear to Mammoth, then arrive at a premiere valet line looking every bit the flagship.

The tradeoff is fuel economy, and it’s not a small one. At 15 mpg combined and roughly $380 per month in fuel costs (Edmunds), this is not an efficient vehicle, and CO2 emissions run approximately 9.6 to 9.7 tons per 15,000 miles (Edmunds; Car and Driver). Buyers accustomed to the running costs of a standard GLS or even an S-Class sedan should budget accordingly; this V8 mild-hybrid setup prioritizes refinement and towing torque over economy, and Mercedes hasn’t pretended otherwise. Coverage comes with a standard 4-year/50,000-mile basic and powertrain warranty (Edmunds), in line with the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup rather than an extended luxury-specific term.

How It Stacks Up in the Ultra-Luxury SUV Segment

Against its two closest rivals, the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan, the Maybach GLS 600 undercuts both on price while matching or exceeding them on rear-seat comfort features and outright towing capability, positioning it as the most functionally versatile of the three ultra-luxury SUVs (Car and Driver).

Car and Driver’s own comparisons place the GLS 600 in direct conversation with both British rivals, and the positioning makes sense once you look past badge prestige. The Cullinan starts well north of the GLS 600 and leans harder into old-world craftsmanship signaling, think umbrella storage in the tailgate and a “Viewing Suite” tailgate seating option, features that photograph beautifully but don’t move cargo. The Bentayga splits the difference, competitive on power and interior quality but without the reclining first-class rear seat that’s become the GLS 600’s signature feature.

The practical upshot for a Beverly Hills buyer cross-shopping this segment: the GLS 600 is the only one of the three that treats towing capacity and cargo volume as a design requirement rather than an afterthought, which is exactly why the brief for this vehicle leans on “genuinely usable” rather than “purely a showpiece.”

Collector Appeal: Why Options and Provenance Matter for Value

Because every GLS 600 shares the same base mechanical package, resale and collector value hinge almost entirely on documented options, color combinations, and low mileage, similar to how a fine watch’s rarity comes down to dial variant and provenance rather than movement alone. Night Series packages, two-tone paint, and bespoke Nappa configurations are the details buyers and appraisers scrutinize first.

This is worth sitting with for a moment. A Patek Philippe collector doesn’t just ask “is this the right reference,” they ask about the dial color, the box and papers, the service history. The GLS 600 market is starting to behave the same way. A unit with the Night Series design package, two-tone exterior, and full documentation of factory-installed options will command a materially different conversation on resale, trade-in, or appraisal than an otherwise identical GLS 600 ordered in a single color with cloth-adjacent trim choices. Mileage matters too, as it does with any vehicle, but on a car this specialized, the options sheet functions almost like a provenance document.

For owners, that means keeping the original build sheet, window sticker, and any factory option documentation in the same file where you’d keep a watch’s certificate of authenticity or a handbag’s dust bag and receipt. It’s the difference between a car that appraises as “a GLS 600” and one that appraises as “a Night Series GLS 600 with under 5,000 miles and full documentation,” and in the world of certified valuations, that distinction has real dollar weight.

Owning an Ultra-Luxury Asset: What Beverly Hills Collectors Should Know

An ultra-luxury vehicle like the Maybach GLS 600 can function as more than transportation, it can serve as collateral for short-term, discreet liquidity when timed around a production deal, an acquisition, or another time-sensitive opportunity. Value depends on certified appraisal, documented options, and condition, determined case by case rather than by a fixed formula.

This is where the collector mindset and the practical liquidity mindset actually converge. The same buyer who understands that a Night Series GLS 600 with full documentation appraises differently than a bare-bones unit is the same buyer who benefits from working with a lender that understands luxury assets on their own terms, rather than treating a $200,000 SUV like a standard auto loan on a Camry. Beverly Loan Company has been Beverly Hills’ collateral lender since 1938, and vehicles like the Maybach GLS 600 sit comfortably alongside the fine watches, jewelry, and art that make up the rest of that world: assets with real, appraisable value that can be put to work quickly and confidentially when the timing calls for it.

Nothing here should be mistaken for a guarantee of terms or approval. Every asset, from a Maybach GLS 600 to a vintage Rolex, gets evaluated on its own merits, condition, and documentation, and loan amounts follow from that appraisal rather than a generic valuation chart.