2018 Beijing Motor Show: Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury has an unexpected reveal

IMAGES of the concept car have leaked online, showing a strange portmanteau of sedan and SUV that’s loaded with creature comforts – including a teapot.

The pictures, published on Chinacarnews.com, reveal what looks like a high-riding fastback sedan that displays strong SUV cues. Mercedes has teased the concept ahead of its Beijing reveal this week.

“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury shows how the typical strengths of an exclusive high-end saloon and an SUV can be combined,” the German luxury carmaker said in publicity material released last week that teased only parts of the interior. “The concept vehicle embodies the Mercedes-Maybach design language, which reflects the traditional brand values while continuing the successful Mercedes-Maybach story.”

The Rolls-Royce Cullinan competitor shows a simple, flowing design featuring an extremely high waistline and a small glasshouse framed in chromed trim that exaggerates its proportions. Up front, there’s the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star in front of the leading edge of the bonnet, while the Maybach name is embossed at the top of a highly chromed, straked grille framed in slimline LED headlights. Beneath it, a chrome-capped splitter trails into a thin chrome surround that circles the concept car. The rear, with its high-set bootlid and shallow, almost coachlike rear window, apes the front’s styling, apart from the gaping chrome maw.

Notably, there are no wing mirrors, and no rear-vision mirror. Two north-south sunroofs replace the traditional east-west ones that are used for front- and rear-seat passengers.

There’s the traditional SUV-style design cue that adds a sense of height – a black strip running up over each eccentrically-shaped wheel arch and across the rockers – while Tesla-style recessed door handles add to the sleek look. Big, turbine-style wheels add a jetset feel.

Inside, there’s a much more design-driven application of Mercedes’ twin-screen digital dashboard, and heaps of natural material including brown and white leather, and dark wood trim. Looking simple and clean, what appears to be a square mouse replaces the traditional dial used for the Comand multimedia interface – it’s too hard to tell from the poor-quality images.

The back seats, though, are something special. The concept car is shown with a tea set in the centre console that cascades down from the dash, splitting the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury into two distinct halves. Rose gold trim on the rear of the quilt-patterned front seats, which are also built into the back of the rear seats, adds a sense of occasion, while separate pillows for rear-seat occupants add comfort.

The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury will be officially unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show, which starts on Wednesday.