The first Maybach-branded crossover – the GLS 600 – came out last year with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at 558 PS (550 hp / 410 kW) and 730 Nm (538 lb-ft). A new modification called the GLS 480 emerges now with less power, but the same options and tech.
The affordable GLS primarily targets the market of China, where consumers tend to be okay with engines of modest displacement volumes in their luxury cars. The powertrain is identical to that of the Mercedes-Benz GLS 450, dominated by a 3.0-liter inline-six turbo rated at 367 PS (362 hp / 270 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. A 48V EQ Boost starter-generator contributes 22 PS (22 hp / 16 kW) and 250 Nm (183 lb-ft) of its own during acceleration and helps the main engine start faster when the start-stop system is active.
Acceleration dynamics takes a hit, with the new car needing 6.6 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph), as opposed to the 4.9 seconds of the GLS 600. On the plus side, the GLS 480 costs only U.S. $240,000, a significant discount from the standard $328,000 given that the design and the equipment are identical between the two.
Chances are good that the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 480 arrives on other markets later on. The previous-gen Maybach S-Class used to ship exclusively with a V12 under the hood when it came out, but V8 and ultimately even V6 versions came out after a while.