Mercedes-Benz claims to have “set a benchmark” for the future of luxury travel with the Vision V concept.
Shown for the first time at the Shanghai motor show, it previews a new VIP shuttle - dubbed the “dawn of a new era” - that will top a new-look V-Class line-up.
This will range from practical family oriented vehicles to “luxurious limousines” that will all be based on the Mercedes’ new Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) platform; the first model will arrive in 2026.
The range-topping production Vision V is being readied to push the nameplate further upmarket, said Mercedes, targeting the likes of the Volvo EM90 and Lexus LM.
The concept features a striking exterior that “marks the next step” of Mercedes’s design language, it said, especially in terms of also making it as aerodynamic as possible - key in terms of maximising range for the production EV, that will likely be a heavy machine.
Notably, the brand points to its new grille (similar to that found on the EQS), headlamp design and illuminated standing star, suggesting these could make production, while the machine’s futuristic-looking rear light bar will likely be toned down before it hits showrooms.
The dramatic four-seat cabin, however, is where most work has been done, says Mercedes.
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Even if it's significantly toned down for production ( which of course it will ), you can still see the tackiness of some elements remaining, like the oversized grille and the dumb monobrow star lights.
I know they're trying to cater to Chinese customers, but here's a thought: The more Chinese they make their products, the less Chinese people ( and everybody else ) seem to buy them. So... Novel idea - How 'bout starting to make European-like cars again? Huh? Like when everybody seemed to like them?
When is a van not a van? When it's a copy and paste advertorial published by the great Autocar magazine whose non subscription web content is beginning to look like one of those local news paper sites that are so infested with viral ads that they are almost totally unusable.
The interior looks like a garish hotel lounge in Dubai. Yuck.