Maybach GLS 600

There is a moment every guest of the north-east's villas knows well: the final kilometre. The tarmac ends, the packed-earth track begins between granite boulders and juniper, and most luxury cars beg for mercy. Not the GLS 600: the air suspension rises, the electric running boards tuck away, and the flagship of SUVs sweeps up to the gate as if it were born there. For anyone landing with family and luggage in tow, our Mercedes rental in Olbia page explains how we arrange collection on arrival.

From the road to San Pantaleo to the unpaved car parks above the beaches of Liscia Ruja, this is the car that goes everywhere without forcing a choice between elegance and practicality. We set out that philosophy in our guide to luxury SUVs in Sardinia, space and comfort — and the GLS 600 is its closing chapter.

You climb aboard — literally: the running board extends, the seating position is as high as a lookout point, and you command the road. The twin-turbo V8 with EQ Boost pulls with a calm, deep strength, 558 hp that never raises its voice, while the 9G-TRONIC manages the gears as if it had read the road in advance. In fact, it has: a camera scans the surface ahead and primes the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension pothole by pothole.

Through the coastal curves the body leans gently into the bend, like a well-sailed yacht, and the roll simply disappears. On board, the silence is that of a suite: you converse in a low voice from Olbia to Palau without ever raising your tone, and rear passengers frequently fall asleep. It is the most sincere compliment an SUV can receive.

The configuration is a genuine four-seater: in the back there is no bench but two individual reclining armchairs with footrests and dedicated climate control, separated by a centre console. It is the layout that turns a transfer from Olbia to Porto Cervo into a quarter of an hour in first class, with children or guests settled as if in a business lounge.

Among the luxury SUVs for hire in Sardinia, it is the definitive proposition when space, presence and that extra capability on the island's imperfect surfaces all matter at once. Message our WhatsApp concierge with your delivery airport or villa — the logistics are ours to handle.