Mercedes-Benz recently unveiled a new show car paving the way to its transition to the “New Iconic Era design philosophy. The Vision Iconic blends the German luxury automaker’s rich heritage and innovative technology.

The Vision Iconic’s Sophisticated Styling

The new concept car was inspired by the opulent design of the 1930s and a touch of Art Deco, to which Mercedes Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener referred to as a “sculpture in motion.” Its strong presence and flowing lines notably evoke the design language of the legendary 300 SL.

The car’s most striking feature comes in its radiator grille, which borrows the elements of classic Mercedes vehicles. This is additionally accentuated by its chrome-framed, smoked-glass structure with integrated lighting called the “iconic grille” that fuses tradition and the electric and digital era.

Interior Design

The Vision Iconic’s interior redefines luxury for the age of automated driving, creating a lounge-like experience that combines hyper-analog and digital elements. Features include a spacious front bench seat in deep blue velvet, Art Deco-inspired craftsmanship, and luxurious materials like mother-of-pearl marquetry and 17th-century straw marquetry on the floor.

Mercedes artfuly integrated technology into the car’s styling, such as the “Zeppelin” glass instrument panel and a pillar-to-pillar screen concept, with one of the clocks acting as an AI companion.

Technology

Beneath the beauty, the Vision Iconic is a technological marvel. Mercedes engineered the auto for Level 4 automated driving, allowing occupants to fully surrender control to the automated tech of the car for elevated driving comfort. The vehicle also showcases revolutionary innovations like neuromorphic computing, which mimics the human brain to make AI calculations for autonomous systems 10 times more efficient.

Moreover, a pioneering solar photovoltaic paint envelopes the Vision Iconic, which Mercedes claims to generate an extra 12,000 km per year for the auto under ideal environmental conditions. Additionally, a new steer-by-wire system promises maximum safety and easier maneuverability.

And There’s More

Furthermore, to translate Vision Iconic’s essence into a broader lifestyle statement, Mercedes-Benz unveiled an exclusively designed capsule collection of six outfits for men and women, echoing the show car’s Art Deco glamour and color scheme. With these, the Vision Iconic is more than a car: it’s a definitive statement on the future of design, technology, and luxury from the three-pointed star.