With the China-exclusive E-Class L already on display, it's clear that Mercedes' assumed commitment regarding a smaller Maybach model was never seriously at play.
Speaking of assumptions, all the while we've been viewing the LWB spy shots, we thought it could turn out to be a Maybach and not just a stretched E-Class.
On the other hand, Mercedes boss Ola Kallenius did say that an E-Class Maybach "is not something that we have on the cards", and that quote came as recently as last month, thus we had been warned.
Now that you've seen the production-ready E-Class L, do you think a Maybach version would make sense? Aside from the badges and possible interior luxury upgrades, it's tough to see how the two would differ from each other.
Of course, considering how well"'exclusivity" sells in China, there's no doubt there'd be no shortage of buyers for a Mercedes-Maybach E-Class that would essentially be a smaller variant of the respective S-Class. Anyhow, Daimler decided against it - and, in any case, the L will be eaten up by locals.
Renderings courtesy of RM Design