The end of an era of inflated prices: how Chinese competitors are squeezing out the flagship Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 (6 photos)
The new Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 looks impressive: under the hood is a powerful 603-horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with a 48-volt mild hybrid, and inside, there's total premium, from intelligent suspension and calf massage to ChatGPT integration and a 710-watt Burmester audio system. Pricing is still under wraps, but the current GLS 600 starts at $181,000.
However, behind the gleam of chrome and signature lighting lies a profound systemic crisis for the brand. The company continues to move by inertia, exploiting past achievements, while its financial performance plummets. In recent years, the company's shares have fallen by 40%, with a further 19% decline since the beginning of 2026, and by the end of 2025, profits have plummeted by 57%, with revenue falling by 9%.
Germans' traditional talent for creating internal combustion engines is rapidly losing relevance, and they are failing to reconcile new technologies with adequate production costs. Against this backdrop, Chinese manufacturers are rapidly gaining ground, offering comparable or higher quality at two to three times lower prices. On the one hand, it's sad to witness the crisis in the European auto industry; on the other, it's the logical end to an era of inflated prices and monopolies, a fate the creators themselves deserved.
A personal experience adds an ironic twist to this story: back in 2019, as a blogger, I attended the presentation of the first Maybach GLS on the Côte d'Azur at the brand's design studio, where, judging by the footage, the current new model was also on display. It's astonishing how much the global auto market has changed in just a few years. 
