Verdict
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the rational Malaysian pick: its RM1,180,000 lower price leaves room for a great deal of petrol and it can cover up to 100 km electrically from its 28.6-kWh battery, with 11-kW AC and 60-kW DC charging. The Maybach GLS answers with far greater muscle—549 hp and 770 Nm versus 362 hp and 500 Nm—and reaches 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. Choose it only if its SUV body, 520-litre boot, four-seat rear-first layout and all-wheel drive matter more than plug-in range and purchase cost.
Maybach GLS
Pick the Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS if you need an all-wheel-drive luxury SUV with 549 hp, a 520-litre boot and four deeply equipped seats.
S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz S-Class if you want five seats, up to 100 km of EV range and a RM1,180,000 saving.
Key differences
- Price: Maybach GLS RM1,918,888; S-Class RM738,888.
- Powertrain output: Maybach GLS 549 hp and 770 Nm; S-Class 362 hp and 500 Nm.
- Battery and EV range: Maybach GLS 1 kWh and no stated EV range; S-Class 28.6 kWh and 100 km.
- Driveline and 0-100 km/h: Maybach GLS all-wheel drive and 4.9 seconds; S-Class rear-wheel drive and 5.2 seconds.
- Seating and boot space: Maybach GLS four seats and 520 litres; S-Class five seats and 350 litres.
- Dimensions: Maybach GLS is 5,205 mm long and 1,838 mm tall; S-Class is 5,289 mm long and 1,503 mm tall.
Maybach GLS
- 549 hp and 770 Nm, with a 4.9-second 0-100 km/h time.
- All-wheel drive and a 90-litre fuel tank.
- 520-litre boot and 23-inch forged alloy wheels.
- Costs RM1,180,000 more.
- Only four seats, against the S-Class's five.
- Its 1-kWh battery has no stated EV range or charging provision.
S-Class
- Up to 100 km of EV range from a 28.6-kWh battery.
- Type 2 11-kW AC and CCS 60-kW DC charging.
- Five seats, plus 15-speaker 710-watt Burmester 3D audio and rear entertainment screens.
- Slower at 5.2 seconds to 100 km/h, versus 4.9 seconds.
- 362 hp and 500 Nm trail the Maybach GLS's 549 hp and 770 Nm.
- 350-litre boot is 170 litres smaller, and it is rear-wheel drive.
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM1,918,888 | RM738,888✓ |
| Body type | SUV | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CKD |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 32-valve DOHC, Twin Turbocharged with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift | 24-valve DOHC with Electric Twin-scroll Turbocharger, Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift |
| Capacity | 3,982 cc | 2,999 cc |
| Horsepower | 549 hp✓ | 362 hp |
| Torque | 770 Nm✓ | 500 Nm |
| Fuel | Petrol Hybrid/REV | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid |
| Bore | 83 mm | 83 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | 1 | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | 22 hp | 147 hp✓ |
| Motor Torque | 250 Nm | 440 Nm✓ |
| Battery Capacity | 1 kWh | 28.6 kWh✓ |
| EV Range | — | 100 km |
| Charging Rate (AC) | — | 11 kW |
| Charging Rate (DC) | — | 60 kW |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 9G-Tronic | 9G-TRONIC |
| Gears | 9 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG) |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 4.9 seconds✓ | 5.2 seconds |
| Rated Economy | — | 1 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | — | 22 g/km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,205 mm | 5,289 mm |
| Width | 2,030 mm | 1,954 mm |
| Height | 1,838 mm | 1,503 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,135 mm | 3,216 mm |
| Weight | 2,785 kg | 2,385 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 90 litres | 67 litres |
| Doors | 5 | 4 |
| Seats | 4 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 520 litres✓ | 350 litres |
| Front Tyre | 285/40R23 | 255/40R20 |
| Rear Tyre | 285/40R23 | 285/35R20 |
| Spare Tyre | — | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | Pirelli P-Zero MO-S | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 ZP |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | United States (CBU) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 23" Polished Multi-spoke Forged Alloy | 20" Twin 10-spoke Alloys |
| Rear Wheels | 23" Polished Multi-spoke Forged Alloy | 20" Twin 10-spoke Alloys |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | — | Adaptive Dampers |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Driver's Knee, Front Side, Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain | Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Rear Passengers, Front and Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Left Cushion |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 4 Three-point | 5 Three-point with Illumination and Rear Belt Bags |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available for Rear Seats | Available for 2 Outer Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (up to 130 km/h) and Evasive Steering Assist (up to 108 km/h) | Yes, with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (up to 130 km/h) and Evasive Steering Assist (up to 108 km/h) |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | — | Pre-Safe, Pre-Safe Impulse Side, Driver Attention Monitor with Eye Tracking |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Multibeam LED Projectors | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | Full LED | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | Power Adjustable Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Powered Ottoman; Powered Leg Rest for Left Passenger | Power Adjustable Outer Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Folding Rear Pillow Headrests with Built-in Neck Warmers; Powered Ottoman and Leg Rest for Left Seat with Massage Function; Centre Load-through |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Panoramic, Front Tilt and Slide | Panoramic, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | 1 Front, 1 Boot, 3 Front USB-C, 4 Rear USB-C | 4 Front USB-C, 6 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Heated and Cooled Front, 2 Heated and Cooled Rear | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | Powered Rear Door Window Sunshades | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 12.3" Touchscreen MBUX with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Voice Control and 13-speaker Burmester Surround Sound System (590 W) | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation with Pop-out Door Handles |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Stop and Go and Speed Limit Assist | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Stop and Go and Speed Limit Assist |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Powered Boot, with Contactless Operation | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor | Yes, with 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking | Yes, Parallel and Perpendicular |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Power Door | Soft Close for All Doors | Soft Close Function, All Doors |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | — | MBUX Interior Assistant, Fingerprint Scanner, Front and Rear Qi Wireless Chargers, Rear Wireless Headsets |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 4 years | 4 years |
| Warranty Notes | — | 8-year/160,000 km Battery Warranty |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM3,211 | RM2,128✓ |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used Maybach GLS & S-Class for sale
Maybach GLS vs S-Class FAQ
Is the Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS or Mercedes-Benz S-Class better?
The S-Class is better for most buyers because it costs RM1,180,000 less, seats five and provides up to 100 km of EV range. Choose the Maybach GLS for all-wheel drive, much stronger 549-hp performance and a larger 520-litre boot.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS costs RM1,180,000 more than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Which one is better for electric driving?
The S-Class is the clear choice. Its 28.6-kWh lithium-ion battery delivers up to 100 km of EV range and supports 11-kW AC plus 60-kW DC charging. The Maybach GLS has a 1-kWh battery and no stated EV range or charging specification.