Mercedes-Benz is shaking up its design language at the moment. It wants to reinvent what luxury looks like in an electric age and typically, that means slapping a massive, illuminated piece of metal on the front. The latest Vision Iconic concept hasn’t escaped a grilling, but this design study and tech showcase gives us our best look at what a future S-Class might entail.
Long, low, and fronted by a grille large enough to pick up Tesla Starlink signals, the Vision Iconic EV channels some of Merc’s greatest hits from the past — the W108, W111, and 600 Pullman — then fuses them with the modern face of the GLC.
“The instrument cluster comes alive like a set of luxury chronographs when you open the door”
The sleek black paint is more than just a shiny surface for checking your fit, as it hides photovoltaic-active tech that can harvest energy from the sun and add potential range to the battery packs. Those are highly likely to be of the solid state variety, so expect a monster range if this thing ever makes it into production.
Inside, the Mercedes design team in Shanghai has gone delightfully Art Deco, blending vintage glamour with high-tech touches. The instrument cluster comes alive like a set of luxury chronographs when you open the door, and one of the four clocks doubles as an AI assistant, because who doesn’t need their timepiece to chat back these days?
Mercedes says that dramatic, sweeping silhouette — which wouldn’t look out of place in a Batman reboot — will also serve as a platform for its latest neuromorphic computing tech. This human brain-inspired hardware promises decision-making up to ten times faster than today’s systems, out-thinking even Tesla’s most promising tech.
“The sleek black paint is more than just a shiny surface for checking your fit”
That could unlock Level 4 autonomous driving, meaning the Vision Iconic could one day handle the commute while you handle a power nap. Mercedes even suggests you could “get comfortable while streaming the latest trending video”, complete with surround sound and ambient lighting. So yes, it builds on the Supercreens of the recent CLA and truly becomes a cinema on wheels.
Of course, the Vision Iconic remains a concept for now, but it’s stuffed with hints of what’s to come. A steer-by-wire setup, due to debut in the next S-Class, removes the physical link between steering wheel and wheels, and when combined with rear-axle steering, makes manoeuvring this beast in city traffic a doddle.
Not that you’ll need to stress about parking either. The car’s advanced autonomous parking system will use a web of sensors to locate a free space and slot itself in — leaving you to stride off smugly while it does the awkward bit.
