Last month a heavily camouflaged prototype under the Mercedes-Benz E-Class shell was spotted cruising the streets. There was something special with it though. It was longer than the standard version of the range.

The area between the B-pillar and the C-pillar was stretched. The C-pillar also carried a window hidden beneath the camo, indicating a design similar to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

With those clues, plus the hints of Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Steve Cannon in his interviews with several sources in the past, the spotted car might be the Mercedes-Maybach E-Class.

According to an update from Autocar, the Mercedes-Maybach E-Class will be officially unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show, which will be held next year. The ultra-luxurious auto will carry a 2017 model year.

The report said the entry-level specification of the stretched sedan, which will likely be named the E500, will adopt the power unit found in the facelifted G500. A petrol 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine with an output of 417 bhp is the strong bet for this one.

The article, citing sources within Mercedes, revealed too that plans for the lineup include a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid variant. It claimed that the car would be capable of giving off zero emission and achieve a range of 31 miles.

It should be noted that Mercedes currently produces a long wheelbase variant of the E-Class in China through Daimler’s joint venture partner, Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC). So does that mean the new Mercedes-Maybach E-Class will finally replace the E400 L in the region? It’s still too early to tell, but we will surely provide updates about this in the future.