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October 15, 2025 — The facelifted Mercedes-Maybach S-Class has gone on sale in India at Rs 3.35 crore (ex-showroom), six months after its global reveal in March. That price converts to nearly $400,000, but the figure says more about India's steep import duties than it does about the car's intrinsic value. US buyers will find the same 2026 model far more approachable — the V8-powered S 580 should start close to $210,000, with the V12 S 680 riding above it. The mid-cycle update brings a larger illuminated grille, a three-screen dashboard, and reworked rear-seat controls.
India's launch lineup is a single variant, the S 580e plug-in hybrid, priced at Rs 3.35 crore. Currency conversion puts that at approximately $400,000 — close to twice what the nearest US equivalent costs. India applies basic customs duty, social welfare surcharge, and a compensation cess on imported luxury cars, and those layers routinely double the landed cost of a European flagship sedan.
For American buyers, the Maybach price ladder sits in a different universe. The 2026 S 580 is expected to hold steady around $210,000 before options, while the S 680 with its handbuilt V12 will command a premium several tens of thousands of dollars higher. Add MANUFAKTUR two-tone paint, extended leather, or the reclining rear-seat package, and the window sticker climbs comfortably past the mid-$200,000s.
Mercedes-Benz presented the facelifted S-Class and the Maybach version together in March 2025. That reveal introduced the next-generation MB.OS electronics architecture and fourth-generation MBUX interface to the flagship sedan line. The standard S-Class has been rolling out through 2025, and the Maybach is following the same path.
The India launch is part of a broader global rollout, and Mercedes has called out the country as one of the sub-brand's fastest-growing markets — a key reason the car arrived just six months after its debut. Mercedes-Benz USA has not yet published final 2026 Maybach S-Class pricing, but the model is expected to land in American dealerships in the coming months with full specifications confirmed.
The facelift's most visible changes are at the front. The Maybach-specific grille grows in size, gains an illuminated perimeter, and retains the vertical chrome slats that have become the sub-brand's calling card. The Maybach lettering above the grille can be backlit, and the three-pointed star on the hood glows as well.
The headlights are larger and introduce a three-pointed-star DRL signature, a motif shared with the updated standard S-Class. Rose-gold detailing inside the lamp housings adds a jewelry-like touch, while the lower air intakes use a mesh insert printed with tiny Maybach logos — a detail that surfaces only on close inspection. The taillamps repeat the same star-inspired LED graphic.
New 20- and 21-inch forged alloy wheels include multi-spoke designs with added visual mass. The MANUFAKTUR personalization program also expands, gaining more single-tone and two-tone finishes for buyers who want their limousine to stand out in the hotel driveway. The side profile remains majestically long, and the rear doors still cut deep into the roofline for easier access, a Maybach signature that owners notice every time they step out.
Step inside, and the cabin makes its point immediately. A single continuous glass panel spans the dashboard and houses three displays: a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 14.4-inch central touchscreen, and a 12.3-inch front-passenger screen. The passenger display includes viewing-angle privacy, so video can play without distracting the driver.
The more significant upgrades are aimed at the rear, where Maybach customers actually spend their time. The executive seats still recline up to 43 degrees with heating, ventilation, and massage. Mercedes has replaced the previous tablet-style controller with two smartphone-style remotes — one per passenger — for independent adjustment of the seats, climate, and entertainment.
A 31-speaker Burmester 4D sound system, multi-zone ambient climate control, and a refrigerated compartment between the rear seats round out the equipment story. The center armrest, door panels, and rear dash trim all pick up the same horizontal design language, with available open-pore wood and aluminum accents that give the cabin a lounge-like feel. At this price level, the options list is mostly about materials and paint.
The Maybach inherits the complete Mercedes-Benz active-safety suite: Active Brake Assist, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC, Active Steering Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, and PRE-SAFE with belt pretensioning. The underlying S-Class architecture supports an adaptive restraint system and up to 15 airbags, depending on specification.
Rear-axle steering remains a highlight for a vehicle this size. Turning the rear wheels by up to 10 degrees reduces the turning circle by nearly two meters, a practical convenience in valet lines and tight city streets.
India receives only one engine option: the S 580e, a plug-in hybrid built around a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder gasoline engine. Mercedes lists the combustion unit at 593 PS and the electric motor at an extra 81 PS, with peak torque of 750 Nm and 50 Nm, respectively, flowing through a nine-speed torque-converter automatic. Mercedes hasn't published an electric-only range for the Indian-market version, though the same PHEV drivetrain in global markets delivers roughly 80 to 100 kilometers of WLTP range.
The US calendar tells a slightly different story. The 2026 Maybach S 580 continues with a 4.0-liter biturbo V8 and 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, rated at about 496 horsepower. The S 680 keeps the 6.0-liter biturbo V12 at approximately 621 horsepower. The V12 has long been the emotional core of the Maybach experience, and its presence in the facelift reassures buyers who want the smoothest possible ride.
The Maybach competes in one of the market's most exclusive corners. The Bentley Flying Spur is its most direct rival — V8 or W12 power, British coachbuilt detailing, and a base price around $225,000. The Rolls-Royce Ghost sits a rung higher, often landing between $350,000 and $400,000 as equipped, with a deliberately more minimal interior.
Range Rover Autobiography and fully loaded BMW 7 Series models can also pull interest from the same buyers, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV gives those loyalists an electric alternative. The Maybach's advantage remains its combination of S-Class engineering, sub-brand exclusivity, and a rear seat that leaves little to criticize.
This facelift is not a cosmetic exercise. Mercedes has installed its newest MB.OS architecture and fourth-generation MBUX in the Maybach for the first time, and the triple-screen dashboard brings the cabin in line with the company's latest models. The illuminated grille and revised lighting add presence, but the lasting improvements are the new rear-seat remotes and the cleaner interior layout.
For US buyers, the engine choice matters just as much as the screens. The V8 and V12 carry over essentially unchanged, which means the Maybach's character is intact — it simply presents itself with more confidence outside and more technology inside. With India's launch now complete, the facelift is one step closer to US showrooms.
