What's Your Favorite Flagship Vehicle?
I'm fresh off a trip to Hamburg, Germany where I drove the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the vaunted S-Class. I called the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class your favorite flagship's favorite flagship in a play off of a quote that originated with RuPaul's Drag Race winner Sasha Colby, who claims the title of "your favorite drag queen's favorite drag queen," and Chappel Roan who claims "your favorite artist's favorite artist." We are applying it to cars, though, so it begs the question, what's your favorite flagship vehicle?
A flagship in the automotive world is the pinnacle model of a manufacturer's lineup representing the best technology, luxury, performance, and design that the brand has to offer. Flagship models are usually the largest, most expensive, or most prestigious models in their respective brand lineups. Some examples include the S-Class which is Mercedes-Benz's flagship, the 7 Series is BMW's flagship, the Roadmaster was Buick's flagship in the '90s, the Toyota Crown is its flagship, and the Acura NSX was its flagship when it was new. Let us know in the comments which flagship takes the cake in your unique mind!
My favorite flagship vehicle is the Genesis G90
It may not be the first full-sized luxury sedan that comes to mind, but I think the G90 represents the Genesis brand supremely well. Notice how the S-Class and 7 Series recently got restyled with bolder, more imposing styling? The G90 has been, in my humble opinion, the best looking full-sized luxury sedan since it got restyled in 2020. Sure, its massive shield-shaped lattice grille makes a bold statement, but it just works. Its intricate wheel designs are similarly bold, and similarly effective. I think it looks great, and I think it pushed ze Germans to step their game up.
The second-generation of the Genesis G90 that debuted in 2023 not only looks exceptionally good, but it's also an exceptionally good luxury car. Genesis brought the daring styling that used to solely exist on the G90's exterior into its leather-lined interior, and it has one of my favorite interiors of any modern car on sale. From the elegant pinstriped details on the door panels, to the unique way that Genesis broke up the traditional giant screen with a leather-covered swoosh that houses physical controls, I think it's my favorite flagship vehicle. Until my prayers are answered and the G90 Magma Wingback arrives, that is. What's yours?