Even though 2020 is not quite over yet, the most expensive car of 2021 has already been revealed — and it’s not some fancy sports car or rare Batmobile. It’s an American-made SUV.
The 2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 starts at a whopping $161,500.
At $161,550 to start the Mercedes-Maybach GLS is the most expensive car built in America https://t.co/BEvvScq39d pic.twitter.com/evO9FUMBLl
— Roadshow (@roadshow) October 19, 2020
There are other, less pricey versions of this model. The base 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 is only $76,000, and the AMG GLS 63 is $132,100, but if you want all the bells, whistles, and prestige of the 2021 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, you’ve got the pay the heftier price.
If you do take the leap, you’ll quickly see why. This luxury car packs some premium features that you don’t see every day.
For starters, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 has a mild-hybrid-equipped 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that — despite being slightly detuned — can add up to 21 hp and 184lb-ft while accelerating. And thanks to its 9-speed automatic transmission, this baby can go from zero to 60mph in only 4.8 seconds, according to Car and Driver.
No detail is spared on the two-row Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600’s interior either. You’ll be riding in serious style with its Nappa leather upholstered seats that are not only ventilated and heated but offer massaging features as well. Being stuck in traffic doesn’t sound quite so bad if you get to enjoy a mobile massage.
This luxury ride also offers ambient lighting mounted on the interior roof and cooling and heating cup holders, so your on-the-go beverage remains at the perfect temperature. In fact, all your senses are covered as there’s also an in-cabin fragrance aerosolizer to help that new car smell last. According to the manufacture, it smells of “light and floral white osmanthus blossom, rounded off by gentle notes of leather and spicy tea.”
Front passengers will be happily entertained by the twin 12.3″ touchscreens to play music, make calls, listen to texts, and follow navigation. The sound will reach everyone in the car can hear, thanks to the Burmester High-End 3D audio system.
With a backseat as luxurious as this one, nobody will be calling shotgun with the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600. A 7″ personal tablet is included and set on a wooden parcel shelf that has been aged for 10 years and separates the seats along with the rear cargo area. It allows users to enjoy the car’s MBUX infotainment system, manage the four-zone climate control, the cup holder’s temperatures and control the leather-lined seat’s warming, cooling, and massaging capabilities.
Buyers have the option to forgo that middle shelf for a three-seat row or keep the two separated captain chairs. You can’t have everything you want, though; a third row is not an option in this expensive vehicle. There are also two-tone paint schemes to choose from.
However, you can opt to have a refrigerated compartment included in that middle-seat parcel that, of course, comes with customized champagne flutes.
Even getting into this car is fancy thanks to its powered running boards. As the doors open, the vehicle’s suspension lowers ever so slightly to help passengers get in and out easier.
It also comes with a built-in driving program called “E-Active Body Control” to help minimize body roll and prevent the backseat passengers from feeling any bumps along the road. By scanning the terrain ahead for any imperfections or sharp corners, the vehicle adjusts its air suspension, which means this car was practically made to be a chauffer vehicle.
While this is easily the most expensive new car in 2021, it doesn’t take the title for the most expensive car ever. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan starts at $300,000, and that’s nothing compared to the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, which will set you back a solid $18.68 million.
Still, what makes the most expensive car of 2021 such an achievement for the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is that it also earned the rank of the most expensive car built in America, according to Road Show. Even though Maybeachs are usually built in Germany, the Mercedes-Benz factory located in none other than Vance, Alabama, is set to handle any and all production of this high-end model.
While $161,500 is already a good chunk of change to spend on a car, it’s likely that there will be plenty of add-ons and upgrades to come for the luxurious—and highly expensive—Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600.
