Up until now, the ultra-wealthy in India had just one ultra-luxurious option from Mercedes-Benz – the Maybach S-Class. Now, however, there’s another option – the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC at Rs 2.43 crore. That’s about Rs 1.39 crore more than the standard Mercedes-Benz GLS. The GLS Maybach has landed on our shores after quite a delay, courtesy of the pandemic. It was first showcased at the Guangzhou International Motor Show in November 2019.

As is the case with Maybach-branded cars, the most luxurious GLS packs several special touches inside and outside the cabin. For instance, it has a more pompous grille, exclusively designed alloy wheels and gaudy bumpers. The D-pillar proudly boasts the ‘Mercedes-Maybach’ logo while the window lines are draped in shiny chrome. The SUV even packs a running board, which slides out from underneath the side sills for easier ingress and egress.

Indoors, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 exudes plushness from just about every panel. The dashboard and the steering wheel, for instance, is lined with Nappa leather. Even the leather seats flaunt their bespoke stitching. As you’d expect, the SUV packs tons of features to accentuate both comfort and luxury aspects. The list includes 64-colour ambient lighting, massaging seats, a massive panoramic sunroof, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an equally-sized digital instrument cluster and a Burmester sound system. The list goes on and on, and on.

Under the bonnet is a 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and cylinder deactivation technology. With 550bhp/730Nm on tap, the GLS 600 can shrug off its weight and hit 100kmph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds and reach 250kmph without breaking a sweat. A 9-speed automatic transmission feeds the oomph to all four wheels via the 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system. With ‘Torque On Demand’ in the mix, the GLS Maybach can shift zero to 100 per cent of the torque between the axles.

As for the mild-hybrid system, that aids the internal combustion engine with an additional 21bhp/250Nm for brief periods. On the other hand, the cylinder deactivation tech can turn off half the cylinders in Dynamic Select Comfort drive mode. Both those gizmos help keep the mileage figure respectable.

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS is a direct rival for the Range Rover. It also makes a strong case against luxury SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga V8 and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. How do you like the latest offering with a three-pointed star?