Maybach eyes budget model

No doubt envious at the success Bentley has had with its Continental GT and Flying Spur, German uber-brand Maybach is now pondering the possibility of introducing a cheaper model to bridge the yawning gap between the Mercedes S-Class and its 'entry-level' 57.

A recent report by UK's Auto Express quoted DaimlerChrysler supremo Dieter Zetsche as saying a new 'baby' model was, indeed, being considered. The British journal had previously reported that BMW-owned Rolls-Royce was "planning a 'little' luxury limo "within the next four years".

There's clearly space for Maybach to go downscale. The Mercedes-Benz line-up tops out at the $459,900 CL65 AMG, while the Maybach range only starts warming up at $945,000 (for the 'basic' 57 limo).

Bentley has shown what can be achieved by introducing a couple of entrants in the sub-half-million-dollar bracket. Witness the success of the Continental GT and Flying Spur, which have enabled the brand to notch up 84 Australian sales until the end of September this year.

Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, has found just eight Aussie buyers. Maybach? At last report (Benz holds it cards very close to its chest) four had been sold.

In this context, there appears to be room for an additional model (or two) to boost the Maybach brand's profile and -- more importantly -- sales volumes.

"Obviously, there is some space between the price range of the current Maybach and the top Mercedes. We are looking into that, and if there's a chance of filling it we have to decide if we want to," Dr Zetsche told Auto Express.

"We also have to make a decision over whether we want to do it with a bigger Mercedes or a smaller Maybach. However, we feel under no pressure to make that decision soon."

The challenge of boosting volumes without losing a sense of exclusivity poses an interesting conundrum for ultra-prestige brands.

Bentley officials say they would rather explore burgeoning new markets such as Russia and China rather than seeking to fatten volumes in existing strongholds such as the United States.

Lamborghini, meanwhile, says it is happy with its existing two-model line-up (Murcielago and Gallardo), and won't be supplementing its range with an SUV or Espada-style 2+2 in the near future, contrary to recent rumours.