Mercedes-Benz wants to make a 'statement' with growing Maybach range

The Mercedes-Maybach lineup is expanding, with the goal of cementing Mercedes-Benz’s presence in the rarefied air of the ultra-luxury market.

Originally founded in 1909, Maybach was acquired by Daimler-Benz in 1960. It existed as a standalone brand in the 2000s, before being shuttered in 2012 and returning as a Mercedes sub-brand in 2015.

Positioned as an exclusive, ultra-luxury division, Mercedes-Maybach takes models from the upper echelon of the Mercedes-Benz lineup and dials up the comfort, features, and dollar signs.

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First came the S-Class, but now the range includes reworked versions of the GLS SUV, electric EQS SUV and, soon, the SL convertible.

Unveiled in August, the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 is the first sports car from the three-pointed star’s ultra-luxury arm, and it’s coming to Australia in 2026.

Mercedes-Benz APAC CEO Jaime Cohen says the expansion of Mercedes-Maybach is an expression of the marque’s desire to sit atop the luxury car throne.

“[Mercedes-Maybach is here to] reinstate and confirm our position in that height of luxury segment,” Mr Cohen told CarExpert.

“Because we are a luxury brand. We are the top of the product lineup, it’s a statement and it’s also just providing what our customers expect from us, what they want.”

The pricing of Mercedes-Maybach models surpasses the most premium offerings from key rivals BMW and Audi, but below luxury benchmarks from Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

The Australian Mercedes-Maybach range kicks off with the EQS 680 priced from $327,990 before on-road costs, a premium of around $132,000 over the base car.

Likewise, the Maybach S-Class is a $230,000 leap over the S580. You can expect the SL 680 to fill a similar void when it arrives in 2026.

“The SL is iconic, it’s a model that we’ve had since the 1950s and clearly recognisable as a Mercedes,” said Mr Cohen.

“Many people will not know any of our Mercedes models, but if you show them an SL, they know immediately what that is, what that represents.

“And even if you look at the ones from 1950s they’re all cars, but people still look at them as pieces of art, technology, and luxury.”

MORE: Everything Mercedes-Maybach