Mercedes-Benz is making a big deal about its upcoming Maybach SUV, as it should. When it arrives later this year, not only will the Mercedes-Maybach GLS be the brand's largest and most luxurious vehicle, but it will also be one of the best smelling vehicles anywhere. The luxurious three-row is getting its own signature fragrance.

Mercedes confirmed the Maybach GLS's custom scent in a recent press release, saying the SUV will appeal to "all the senses." Granted, this isn't a new thing for Mercedes – the company has been creating custom scents in its vehicles for years now. But in the case of the Maybach GLS, smell engineers promise an aroma unlike any other. Here's how they describe it:

"The white osmanthus blossom, floral and light, is rounded off by a gentle leather note and spicy tea. This elegant blend is on a bed of natural greenery."

The floral, leathery scent should blend perfectly with the rest of the Maybach SUV's sumptuous elements. We know that the three-row will borrow virtually all of the same upscale interior cues of its sibling, the Maybach S650 saloon. Its exterior, meanwhile, will reportedly draw influence from the Mercedes-Maybach 6 concept and feature a unique grille, headlights and taillights, and graphics over the current GLS.

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS will debut this autumn, the company confirms. Our bet is the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The company will build its SUV at the Mercedes manufacturing facility in Alabama; it should cost around £200,000 when new, and may wield a massive V12. But, we'll have to wait for its debut to know anything official.

Gallery: Mercedes-Maybach GLS render

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The Mercedes-Maybach brand stands for exclusive luxury, maximum comfort and state-of-the-art technology in automotive engineering, services and accessories. It is seen as a trailblazer in defining style and status. At the start of the 20th century, the man who gave it its name, Wilhelm Maybach, developed products that combined pioneering technologies with intuitive operation and fine design. His maxim was to create the very best from the very best. The brand combines this long tradition with visionary concepts for the requirements of the future. Naturally this means that it also takes its lead from new trends and customer requirements in the luxury segment. The brand will present its first SUV in the autumn.

Combining the latest technology with extraordinary luxury: in a nutshell, this is the formula for the success of the Maybach brand. A number of events in the history of Maybach illustrate how the brand has always managed to realign itself and shape the future.

In 1900 Wilhelm Maybach, technical director of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft and long-standing companion of Gottlieb Daimler, developed the first Mercedes. With its low centre of gravity, longitudinally installed aluminium engine in the front, twin camshafts and an innovative honeycomb radiator, the Mercedes 35 HP known as the Simplex, is considered to be the progenitor of all modern passenger cars. When the racing week in Nice was dominated by the new model in spring 1901, Wilhelm Maybach was respectfully titled "Roi des Constructeurs" – "King of designers".

While Wilhelm Maybach was designing the first Mercedes, another German visionary was dreaming of mobility in the skies: Count Zeppelin. But it was only an innovative engine with a high output, low weight and a fireproof carburettor that gave the idea of the airship its breakthrough. The architects of this breakthrough were Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl, who had already followed in his famous father's footsteps as an apprentice at Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft from the age of 17. In 1909 the two entrepreneurs founded "Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH", the germ cell of the later "Maybach-Motorenwerke" in Friedrichshafen. Their powerful engines powered aircraft, ships and buses, as well as the "Flying Hamburger" locomotive, the progenitor of all high-speed trains.

When Karl Maybach developed his first automobile in 1919, he had recourse to Mercedes: the "W 1" test car was based on a chassis bearing the star. Like the father, the son was a gifted designer. His inventions, for example the innovative "overdrive transmission", and his bent for technical perfection founded the legend of the Maybach brand and its circle of illustrious customers: emperors and kings, bankers and captains of industry, top athletes and stars.

In the 1920s and 30s, long-distance travel was a matter of status and style. When the French "Normandie" and the British "Queen Mary" were launched as the most beautiful ocean liners of all time, Maybach was building the ultimate automobile - the Maybach "Zeppelin". The most stately German luxury limousine of its time combined technology, performance and comfort at the highest level.

The list of exemplary attributes is practically endless. In 1960 Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH was acquired by Daimler. In 2002 the next vehicle to be produced under the Maybach name appeared. The Maybach, which DaimlerChrysler presented to the public in autumn 2002, elegantly continued the great tradition of the brand. These automotive works of art were created on the basis of personal discussions between customers and the designers at the Maybach Centre of Excellence" in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart, and were then individually built in the Maybach manufactory. Until 2013 the Maybach 57, Maybach 62 and Maybach 62 Landaulet were delivered to customers all over the world.

In 2014 Mercedes-Maybach was established as a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz as part of a brand realignment. Alongside the main model, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the brand launched special niche models such as the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman and limited-edition luxury models such as the Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Cabriolet. This autumn the brand will present its first SUV.

The "very best of the very best"

The success story of the Mercedes-Maybach brand continues to this day. Since its market launch in 2015, more than 45,000 examples of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class have been delivered worldwide. In 2018 more Mercedes-Maybach S-Class cars were sold than ever before: one in seven S-Class models sold was a Maybach. The brand continues to follow clear principles under the motto "Ultimate Excellence" – the very best of the very best. The brand and its products are produced and presented with craftsman-like perfection and uncompromising attention to detail. They stand for timeless luxury and status, always accompanied by the history and strengths of the Maybach name. The vehicle technology is always at the highest Mercedes-Benz level, as all Mercedes-Maybach models feature all the innovations and highlights of the current Mercedes-Benz models. Naturally Maybach-specific features are also available beyond this. For the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class these are e.g. two reclining seats in the rear, an electro-transparent sliding roof or the option of an exclusive two-tone paint finish.

Incomparable design and individuality

The success of Maybach models has always been partly due to the unique brand aesthetics. Today the brand aesthetics of Mercedes-Maybach stand for "Ultimate Luxury" in its most modern form. The brand's style is embodied in sublime beauty, supreme aesthetics and elegance. This is not about wallowing in the past, but about forward-looking enhancement and refinement. The ambience is bright, inviting and generous. This is also underscored by the use of light colours, which symbolise the luxury of room and space. Black elements forge a link with Mercedes-Benz and allow precious metals to add a sublime shine. The choice of materials excels with tasteful combinations of familiar, high-grade elements and new materials, and with exclusivity of finish. Ultimate precision and a loving attention to detail are demonstrated by graphic elements which are derived from the brand logo. Every material is always used in perfect harmony with the technology: on customer request, for example, an all-leather roof liner with an LED light band creates an atmosphere that is both warm and futuristic.

The exterior of a Mercedes-Maybach conveys expressiveness and quality. Characteristic features include the radiator grille, long wheelbase, large wheels, distinctive wheel designs and the use of chrome. The chrome-plated radiator grille with its fine, vertical struts creates a distinctive front end emphasising presence and status. The vertical struts become slightly thicker towards the top and raise the visual centre of gravity.

Luxury experience for all the senses

The luxury of the Mercedes-Maybach brand can be experienced by all the senses.Customers are able to visit the Mercedes-Maybach manufactory in Sindelfingen – where they can see, feel and smell the interior materials for themselves. Experts are on hand to advise them when making their choice and styling the interior.

Moreover, every Mercedes-Maybach model is also a sound experience: the Maybach S-Class is equipped with the Burmester® high-end 3D surround sound system, for example. 27 high-performance speakers and 24 separate amplifier channels provide an overall output of 1590 watts. As a visual highlight, the tweeters in the rear doors are presented particularly attractively by being skewed towards the passengers.

The fragrance in the interior also contributes greatly to the luxurious ambience. The new Mercedes-Maybach model is also given its own signature fragrance suited to the SUV-specific interior and travelling experience: The white osmanthus blossom, floral and light, is rounded off by a gentle leather note and spicy tea. This elegant blend is on a bed of natural greenery.

Luxury beyond the product itself

However, the brand experience goes well beyond the vehicle itself. The brand rounds off the lifestyle of its customers with various accessories. The licensing partner "Maybach – Icons of Luxury" produces exclusive collections accompanying the brand, and individual accessories that perfectly complement the individual models, e.g. travel bags, leatherware and home accessories. As well as first-class quality and design, the greatest importance is attached to the functionality of the leatherware and accessories. Fine logo emblems and embossing lend a stylish touch to the products. The all-round brand experience culminates in exceptionally personal, forward-thinking customer service. The exclusive international customer programme "Circle of Excellence" offers unique events such as joint tours or test drives with new vehicles, opportunities for personal conversation with Mercedes-Maybach experts and brand ambassadors, and exclusive insights into Mercedes-Benz production locations. The focus here is on togetherness, exclusivity, inspiration and comfort.

New standards of exclusivity and luxury

The Mercedes-Maybach is constantly developing. Several internationally admired vehicle studies have recently been presented. The visionary future models reinforce the claim to be defining the luxury, status and style of tomorrow. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 study presented in 2016 is a spectacular luxury-class coupé. The 2+2-seater is a homage to the glorious age of the aero coupés, and consciously carries this tradition forward into the future. The coupé reinterprets classic, emotive design principles in an extreme way. One year later the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet celebrated its world premiere. In 2018 Mercedes-Maybach set new standards in ultimate luxury with the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury study. The design of this crossover between an exclusive high-end saloon and an SUV systematically follows the brand philosophy of sensual purity. The show car combines the comfort and typical strengths of both body styles. These include the raised seating position and the athletic looks. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is conceived as an electric vehicle with four compact permanent-magnet synchronous motors and fully variable all-wheel drive.

Progressive, sustainable further development will also strengthen the Mercedes-Maybach brand in the future

Striving for further development also means closely examining all aspects of sustainability. Mercedes-Maybach bases its models on Mercedes-Benz vehicle platforms. During the development of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, a recycling concept is produced for each model in which all components and materials are analysed to establish their suitability for the different stages of the recycling process. Accordingly, all Mercedes-Benz car model materials are 85% recyclable and 95% reusable according to ISO 22 628.

The aim is to further reduce the environmental effects of the materials used. To this end Mercedes-Benz has turned to new materials and components,however the company also makes increasing use of renewable raw materials and recycling. The fundamental principle is this: to achieve more with less.

The many individualisation options at Mercedes-Maybach also include alternative interiors. On customer request and as a one-off example, the interior can e.g. be completely leather-free with a high proportion of vegan materials.

Progressive and sustainable further development is and will remain a key success factor: continuous reinterpretations of the interior and exterior, as well as the integration of alternative drive systems and further digital technologies for the future, are specifically planned by Mercedes-Maybach to further strengthen the brand.

In the same systematic way, the brand positioning with the product portfolio is continuously driven forward: in November 2019 the brand will present its first model in the attractive SUV segment. In taking this step, Mercedes-Maybach is meeting the wishes of customers for an expansion of the existing model portfolio, even more distinct differentiation from the basic Mercedes-Benz models and a stronger brand profile. 

In this way the Mercedes-Maybach brand is once again underlining its status as the epitome of luxury that constantly reinvents itself.