Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith vs Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

Includes a historical vehicle

Current, upcoming and historical vehicles can be compared side by side. Historical records keep their verified specifications, while price labels show last-listed context rather than current new-car availability.

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith Discontinued model
Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith in South Africa

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith

Wraith Black Badge Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Discontinued model
No longer sold new historical price not confirmed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 465 kW 🔧 870 Nm ⛽ 6.85 km/l
VS
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in South Africa

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

S 580 Petrol Mild Hybrid 9-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 4,173,802 ex-showroom
⚡ 370 kW 🔧 700 Nm ⛽ 10.0 km/l
+ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith vs Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class: the short answer

Black Badge Wraith and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification Black Badge Wraith Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Maximum Power Black Badge Wraith465 kW @ 5600 rpm Mercedes-Maybach S-Class370 kW
Maximum Torque Black Badge Wraith870 Nm @ 1700-4500 rpm Mercedes-Maybach S-Class700 Nm
Engine Size Black Badge Wraith6592 cc Mercedes-Maybach S-Class3982 cc
Combined Fuel Economy Black Badge Wraith6.85 km/l Mercedes-Maybach S-Class10.0 km/l
Ground Clearance Black Badge Wraith149 mm Mercedes-Maybach S-Class130 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

Rolls-Royce Black Badge Wraith

Wraith Black Badge

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

S 580

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Black Badge Wraith

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use
Specification evidence leader

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

Black Badge Wraith

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec Black Badge Wraith Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Model Introduced Year 2017 2026
Generation Wraith Black Badge launch configuration; the World technical sheet was created in May 2016 and the derivative was launched in South Africa in early 2017. Current South African Mercedes-Maybach S-Class generation represented by derivative S 580
Facelift History Black Badge was a distinct Wraith derivative, not a Wraith facelift; this profile keeps its launch specification separate from later revised figures. Current-generation/facelift specification; derivative-specific South African configuration
Facelift Launched Since 2017 Current South African model cycle
Facelift Version Ending 2023 Current
Body Style Coupe Sedan
Model Year 2017 2026
Production Status discontinued Current South African retail range
Segment Ultra-luxury performance grand tourer Premium sedan
Vehicle Type Passenger car Sedan
Spec Black Badge Wraith Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Length 5285 mm 5469 mm
Width 1947 mm 1921 mm
Height 1507 mm 1510 mm
Wheelbase 3112 mm 3396 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 149 mm 130 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 149 mm 120 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 82 l 76 l
Boot/Cargo Space 470 l 505 l
Kerb Weight 2440 kg 2360 kg
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2810 kg 2000 kg
Payload Capacity 370 kg 530 kg
Towing Capacity 0 kg 2000 kg
Seating Capacity 4 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows 2 rows
Doors 2 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 6.35 m 6.45 m
Front Headroom 1002 mm 960 mm
Rear Headroom 941 mm 960 mm
Front Legroom 1054 mm 900 mm
Rear Legroom 937 mm 900 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This Black Badge Wraith and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: Black Badge Wraith 97 vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 97.

Efficiency index: Black Badge Wraith 31 vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 45.

Safety-equipment index: Black Badge Wraith 88 vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 95.

Practicality index: Black Badge Wraith 57 vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class 63.

Ownership-cover index: Black Badge Wraith not separately scored vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class leads by 6 points

Black Badge Wraith and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 77 /100
Lead 6 points
Data 83% source coverage
77
#1 Evidence leader

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Performance 97 Check Efficiency 45
Performance 97
Efficiency 45
Safety 95
Practicality 63
Leads by 6 points
71
#2

Black Badge Wraith

74% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Performance 97 Check Efficiency 31
Performance 97
Efficiency 31
Safety 88
Practicality 57
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Level Efficiency Mercedes-Maybach S-Class +14 Safety Mercedes-Maybach S-Class +7 Practicality Mercedes-Maybach S-Class +6

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class

Performance 97/100
Efficiency 45/100
Safety 95/100
Practicality 63/100

Black Badge Wraith

Performance 97/100
Efficiency 31/100
Safety 88/100
Practicality 57/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Maybach S-Class leads the specification evidence index with 77 pts vs 71 pts for Black Badge Wraith

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, Mercedes-Maybach S-Class leads. However, Black Badge Wraith may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Black Badge Wraith vs Mercedes-Maybach S-Class questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.