Mercedes-Maybach Pullman (VV 222) 2015

This is the new Pullman, now badged under Mercedes-Maybach and based on the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class chassis, codenamed VV222 in this particular body type. It will debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show to coincide with the 50th birthday of the best-known Pullman saloon of them all, the Mercedes-Benz 600.

The name Pullman was originally applied to railway carriages with luxurious open-plan compartments manufactured by the American Pullman Palace Car Company. Mercedes-Benz started using it for long wheelbase cars with luxurious interiors.

The new Mercedes-Maybach Pullman is 6.5 metres long - 6,499 mm to be exact. That's 1,053 mm longer than the X222 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which itself is already longer than what you and I would already consider a long car, the long wheelbase V222 S-Class.

Its wheelbase is an incredible 4,418 mm, longer than the entire length of a Proton Saga. It's also 1,598 mm tall, more than 100 mm higher than a regular S-Class. It allows for 60 mm more headroom compared to the 'regular' Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

Interior_02

The new Pullman seats six - the driver and front passenger can be separated by a glass partition from the rear cabin. The glass partition wall can be lowered electrically. It can also change from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. The standard-fit 16:9 format 18.5-inch monitor located in front of the partition can also be extended electrically.

All seats are easy to get to thanks to large rear doors and the position of the passengers on the executive seats, which is further to the rear compared to the previous Pullman. The extra two seats face backwards and are of the fold-down type - they're not full executive seats and the Pullman can be order without these seats, making it a gigantic four-seater.

The backrest of the executive seats are adjusted separately while the footwell and seat reference point remain unchanged. The cushion can be adjusted separately, with inclination and horizontal adjustment combined. The maximum backrest angle is 43.5 degrees, with the most upright position being 10 degrees.

The top of the range of the range will be the Pullman S 600, which is powered by a 6.0 litre twin turbo V12 putting out 530 horsepower and as much as 830 Nm of torque from just 1,900 rpm. The prices for unarmoured models start at around half a million euros; the first customers will be taking delivery of their vehicles in early 2016.