Verdict
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class Z223 is the more complete limousine: 496 hp, all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering and a far richer rear-cabin suite make it the better chauffeur-driven choice. But the RM442,000 price gap is substantial. The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class X222 Facelift is only 0.1 seconds slower to 100 km/h, returns a claimed 8.8 L/100 km against 11.7 L/100 km, and carries 30 litres more luggage. For a Malaysian buyer shopping used, the older car remains the sharper value play if its specification and condition are right.
X222 Facelift
Pick the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class X222 Facelift if you want the lower-cost Maybach with claimed 8.8 L/100 km consumption, a 500-litre boot and Magic Body Control road-surface scanning.
Z223
Pick the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class Z223 if rear-seat luxury, 496 hp, all-wheel drive and newer safety and infotainment equipment matter more than running costs and boot space.
Key differences
- Price: X222 Facelift RM1,408,888; Z223 RM1,850,888.
- Power and drive: X222 Facelift has 469 hp and rear-wheel drive; Z223 has 496 hp and all-wheel drive.
- Performance: X222 Facelift reaches 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds; Z223 does it in 4.8 seconds.
- Economy and CO2: X222 Facelift is rated at 8.8 L/100 km and 147 g/km; Z223 at 11.7 L/100 km and 266 g/km.
- Space: X222 Facelift has a 3,365 mm wheelbase and 500-litre boot; Z223 has a 3,396 mm wheelbase and 470-litre boot.
- Safety: X222 Facelift has 10 airbags; Z223 has 12 airbags.
X222 Facelift
- RM442,000 lower purchase price
- Claimed 8.8 L/100 km and 147 g/km CO2
- 500-litre boot and Magic Body Control with Road Surface Scan
- 469 hp and rear-wheel drive versus the Z223's 496 hp and all-wheel drive
- 10 airbags and no head-up display, versus 12 airbags and a head-up display
- Older COMAND system has 13 speakers and 590W, against the Z223's 15 speakers and 710W
Z223
- 496 hp, all-wheel drive and 4.8-second 0-100 km/h time
- Rear-wheel steering, active roll stabilisation and 21-inch forged alloys
- 12 airbags, Digital Light matrix headlamps and 15-speaker 710W Burmester audio
- RM442,000 more expensive
- Claimed 11.7 L/100 km consumption and 266 g/km CO2 versus 8.8 L/100 km and 147 g/km
- 470-litre boot is 30 litres smaller and kerb weight is 2,290 kg versus 2,170 kg
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM1,408,888✓ | RM1,850,888 |
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CKD |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM6,549 | RM6,549 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 32-valve DOHC, direct fuel injection, twin-turbo with variable valve timing | 32-valve DOHC, Twin Turbocharged with Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift |
| Capacity | 3,982 cc | 3,982 cc |
| Horsepower | 469 hp at 5,250 rpm | 496 hp at 5,500 rpm✓ |
| Torque | 700 Nm at 2,000 rpm | 700 Nm at 2,000 rpm |
| Cylinder Arrangement | V 8 | V 8 |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Hybrid/REV |
| Bore × Stroke | 83 mm × 92 mm | 83 mm × 92.4 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 20 hp✓ |
| Motor Torque | — | 200 Nm✓ |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 9G-TRONIC | 9G-TRONIC |
| Gears | 9 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG) | Mercedes-Benz |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | All Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 4.9 seconds | 4.8 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | 8.8 L/100 km✓ | 11.7 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | 147 g/km✓ | 266 g/km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,462 mm | 5,469 mm |
| Width | 1,899 mm | 1,921 mm |
| Height | 1,498 mm | 1,510 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,365 mm | 3,396 mm |
| Weight | 2,170 kg | 2,290 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 80 litres | 76 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 4 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 |
| Boot Space | 500 litres✓ | 470 litres |
| Front Tyre | 245/40R20 | 265/35R21 |
| Rear Tyre | 275/35R20 | 265/35R21 |
| Spare Tyre | — | Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric | Pirelli P-Zero MO-S |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Germany (CBU) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| Front Suspension | Multi-link with Active Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link with Active Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 20" Maybach Alloy | 21" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Maybach Alloy | 21" Multi-spoke 2-tone Forged Alloy |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | Magic Body Control Active Suspension with Road Surface Scan | Adaptive Dampers, 48-volt Active Roll Stabilisation, Rear-wheel Steering (4.5 Degrees) |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | 10 (Driver and Passenger, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Side, Rear Seat Belt Bag) | 12 (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 | 4 Three-point with Illumination, Rear Belt Bags and Rear Feeder |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on two outer rear passenger seats | Available for Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, PRE-SAFE Brake, Full Auto Brake | 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 | Adaptive LED Projectors with High Beam Assist | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | LED Combination | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | 12-Way Power-Adjustable Front Seats with Memory Function, Heated and Ventilated | 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 Massage and Memory Functions, Powered Ottoman Base for Left Seat, Heated and Ventilated, Wireless COMAND Remote | Power Adjustable Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Heated Headrests; Powered Ottoman with Massage Function; Powered Leg Rest for Left Passenger |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | 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, Tilt and Slide, Magic Sky Control | Panoramic, Front Tilt with Sunshade Gesture Opening and Closing |
| Power Sockets | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 4 Front USB-C, 4 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Heated and Cooled Front, 2 Heated and Cooled Rear |
| Sun Shade | Powered rear sun shade, Powered rear door window shades | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 12.3" COMAND Online with SPLITVIEW, COMAND Controller, Touchpad, Burmester Sound System with 13 Speakers (590W) and rear seat individual entertainment system, including two 10-inch monitors with wireless headphones, rear center armrest control/USB/audio interface | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11.6" 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 | Active Cruise Control with Steer Assist and Stop and Go Pilot | 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, contactless opening | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Available, with Surround View Camera | Yes, with 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes | Yes, Parallel and Perpendicular |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | — | ✓ |
| Power Door | Soft close function, all doors | Soft Close for All Doors; Power-assisted Rear Doors with Gesture-operated One-touch Closing |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | — | Front and Rear MBUX Interior Assistant, Fingerprint Scanner, Front and Rear Qi Wireless Chargers, Rear Wireless Headsets, Folding Rear Tables, Rear Fridge |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | — |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 2 years |
| Warranty Extended | 2 years | 2 years |
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 cars for sale
X222 Facelift vs Z223 FAQ
Is the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class X222 Facelift or Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class Z223 better?
The Z223 is technically better equipped, more powerful and all-wheel driven, with a longer wheelbase and newer rear-seat technology. The X222 Facelift is the better buy for lower purchase cost, claimed fuel use and a larger boot.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class Z223 costs RM442,000 more than the X222 Facelift: RM1,850,888 against RM1,408,888.
Which Maybach S-Class has the better rear-seat equipment?
The Z223 has the stronger rear-cabin specification, adding one-touch reclining seats, heated headrests, a massaging ottoman and leg rest, rear entertainment displays, a rear Android tablet, folding tables and a rear fridge.
