Mercedes-Benz S 580 L 4MATIC and Mercedes-Maybach S 680 pricing and features revealed

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S 580 L 4MATIC and Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC will go on sale in Australia later this year costing $329,900 and $565,800 respectively plus on-road costs.

The new V8-powered S 580 L 4MATIC will represent the top-shelf variant of the standard S-Class range, sitting above the S 450 and S 450 L, which are already on sale, while the S 680 will sit as a standalone model for the carmaker’s opulent Mercedes-Maybach sub-brand.

6

Drivetrains

Powering the S 580 L will be Mercedes’s prodigious M 176 bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, which produces 370kW and 700Nm.

The S 580 L will also utilise the German automaker’s EQ Boost 48-volt onboard electric mild-hybrid system, which adds 15kW and 200Nm of extra shove for short intervals.

The S 680’s motor adds four more cylinders and an extra 2.0-litres of displacement compared to the S 580 L, utilising Merc’s emphatic M 279 bi-turbo 6.0-litre V12, which pumps out 463kW and a whopping 900Nm.

However, the S 680 does without the clever EQ Boost technology, as Merc has never fitted one of its V12s with a mild-hybrid system.

Drive for both models will be sent to all four wheels through Mercedes’s clever 4MATIC drive system and 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission.

6

Dimensions

Based on the Stuttgart firm’s modular MRA platform, the 580 L’s wheelbase will be 110mm longer than the standard S-Class, measuring 3216 mm.

The S 680 is longer still. Its wheelbase measures 3396mm, gaining an additional 180mm of length compared to the long-wheelbase (LWB) S-Class.

6

Suspension

Thanks to the S 580 L’s 48V mild hybrid system, the limousine can be had with two suspension options.

As standard, it will ride on Mercedes’s plush Airmatic adaptive suspension. However, buyers can also opt for E-Active Body Control, a fully active suspension system which employs five multi-core processors, 20-plus sensors and a stereo camera to adapt to driving conditions and surfaces on the fly.

The trick suspension’s control unit can assess any driving situation 1000 times per second, which should equate to a unrivalled ride and driving experience.

As the S 680 forgoes EQ Boost, its only ride option is Airmatic adaptive suspension. However, the air-suspension set-up receives its own unique tune exclusively for the Maybach range.

The impressive rear-wheel steering (RWS) system offering up to 10-degrees of articulation is an optional extra for the S 580L. The S 680, on the other hand, gets RWS as standard.

Buyers getting the clever piece of engineering on their S-Class/Maybach will want to go for the 20-inch wheels though, as optioning the 21-inch wheels limits the rear-steer to just 4.5-degrees.

6

Interior

Inside, both vehicles are, as you would expect, opulent.

The S 580 L scores a host of features such as Merc’s latest generation MBUX infotainment software, a 12.8-inch centre OLED touch-screen display with fingerprint scanner, 3D driver’s display, power-assisted closing doors, wireless phone integration and charging, sliding panoramic sunroof, a 15 speaker, 710 watt Burmester 3D sound system, MBUX interior assistant, ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, electronically adjustable heated and cooled front seats, and a Nappa leather interior.

The S 680 ramps up the levels of luxury even further, offering “first-class” comfort for occupants both in the front and rear seats.

Those sitting in the front seats can enjoy heated and cooled seats, heated armrests and centre console, and for the driver, a heated multifunction steering wheel finished in polished woodgrain and Nappa leather.

The 12.8-inch centre OLED touch-screen display also features a digital TV tuner and DAB+ digital radio as standard.

Those sitting in the back of the elongated limousine can enjoy reclining heated and cooled massaging seats, MBUX interior rear assistant, high-pile floor mats and Exclusive Nappa leather finished in ‘designo’ style throughout the cabin.

Rear seat occupants also score, for the first time, a new seatbelt feeder typically found in coupés and convertibles, which further helps to reduce the effort required to buckle up.

And, for audiophiles, the S 680 comes as standard with a premium Burmester 4D surround-sound hi-fi system, which features a whopping 31 speakers and an output of 1750 watts, including a subwoofer and eight bass shakers (exciters) in the seats.

Mercedes claims the Burmester 4D system, which can also be optioned on the S 580 L, is so good occupants can “feel the music”.

6

Availability

A representative from the German marque’s local arm has told WhichCar that the Mercedes-Benz S 580 L 4MATIC and Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC will be available to order from local dealers in the third quarter of 2021, with deliveries expected to begin soon after in quarter four.