Vision to Reality – the EQS

The Mercedes-Benz VISION EQS represents a new approach to sustainable modern luxury which combines dynamic performance with a comfortable and luxurious driving experience. Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG offers exclusive insights of his design approach and the vehicle’s seamless aesthetic.

Hi, my name is Felix. Welcome to California.

Right now, I’m going to this closed airstrip,  just outside of Los Angeles, to meet up with the designers  and some of the technicians behind the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQS.

This is it. Look at it.

This is a vision for how electric luxury driving might be in the future. Should we get it out in the sun?

I’ve got a thousand questions.

Hey, welcome. – Garden Wagener. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have a test drive with than you.

Good to see you. Welcome in my new car.

It’s an amazing car. Is it still a car?

It is a car, yes. – Sure?

Yes, this is a futuristic car, but it’s still a car.

So, this is top of the range for the EQ brand, right?

Yes, and for Mercedes-Benz. I think it’s a very special moment in which Mercedes-Benz makes that step towards electrification and builds an all new purpose platform for the first time. And of course, where we start is in our home field the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

So, I think it’s a very important moment for the company.

So, what is it?

Is it a coup, is it a saloon, is it a limo  or is it something else?

Well, I think it takes advantage  of all different kinds of proportions.

Of course, it’s a saloon,  but it looks very sporty, much like a coup.

You have these fast lines  that make it very sporty-looking.

The fast lines also help to reduce the visual weight, as we sit a little higher due to the battery pack. That car still looks low and sleek.

Because of this cab forward proportion,  you almost feel like we are sitting in a helicopter, right?

That steering wheel. I keep on looking at it. Yeah, this is pretty futuristic, too. So, we will see more later, when we drive. Yeah, but please tell me it’s gonna make it one day to a production model. Okay, one day. – Please, please. It’s amazing. So this is cool. Do you now see these illuminated strips?

All this is basically a virtual IP with projection. So, the traditional dashboard is completely gone and everything you need to know  is projected onto this white surface?

The whole front grille is a screen  and we actually have holographic headlights, too. You know our modern sense of beauty philosophy is:

If we like it, we take a line off. If we still like it, we take another line off. That applies to the exterior, but also it applies to the use of the interaction systems. Where, depending on the context, you just get the information you need.

We want electric to be sexy, to be exciting. Of course we are a luxury brand and in fact, we want to make it  the most loved luxury brand. But is this going to replace the Mercedes-Benz S-Class?

No, it will be additional to that. – Okay.

We wanted to create something that extends our portfolio, that attracts new customers  as well as existing customers, of course. It’s an addition to the line-up,  a perfect addition next to each other.

How far from the production car are we for this one?

We are not very far from the production car. Inside out, the interior is something  you will see very soon in production and the exterior is also close to the final production car. So, it’s not that far out there, we call it “VISION”, but a lot of that vision will become reality. Have you driven it before? – No, it’s the first time.

Really?  – Yeah.

That’s why you’re smiling. – I always take the first ride with you, right?

Should we go for a spin? – Yeah, let’s do that.

It’s pretty cool.

We actually sit pretty well, and you can see everything, because it seems so low when you’re outside and you can actually bow.

Not bad acceleration, is it?

Wow, we’re driving it!

Can I drive? – Yeah!

Perfect, huh?

Are you ready?

I love this steering wheel. – It’s awesome, huh?

It’s so cool! – Yeah.

Wow! – It really goes, huh?

I could do this all day,  just back and forth, back and forth.

Yeah. Over and over and over again.

We try to create every car like a design sketch, like the designers over exaggerate the car. That proportion is really so different from everything else you know. It looks almost like you have a UFO here on the street. And that one bow, is that line going all the way?

Yes, this is one bow.

We put chrome here to put some emphasis on that. That actually helps to make the vehicle look very low and the cab forward proportion makes it futuristic. And we planted the whole entire greenhouse into the body. See, all this is seamless.

All this is blends seamlessly into the body. So it’s kind of a melted greenhouse.

What do you mean by greenhouse?

Greenhouse is the glasshouse, here, the cabin.  – Okay.

The cab and this is the body.  So we call that greenhouse.

Alright.

And no B-pillar?

No B-pillar.

Again, we wanted to combine the sportiness of a coupé  with the roominess of a saloon. And actually the footprint is so much better. This car has, even though it is as long as a short Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the interior space of a long Mercedes-Benz S-Class. So with the new platform, the weight balance of the car is gonna be a lot better.

Yeah. You have all the weight on the bottom. This is why the handling is actually very sporty.

And it does.  – It does. And we have to talk about these as well, because that’s something people notice. This is a mirror cam. So we have a cam in there. You can project it onto the digital IP. Instead of mirrors, we have a display of the rear view. And of course, aerodynamic creates  a lot of efficiency here. Sure. Sustainability, luxury, sustainable luxury. Sustainable luxury. Sustainable modern luxury. That’s what the company stands for.

And the sustainable parts in this car?

Of course, it’s the overall shape: it’s efficient, it’s electric. Inside we will see a lot of recycled materials. Our vision is that we will eventually create  a 100% fully recyclable car. Whatever you do, I think reduction is beautiful. To bring it down to the essence, whether it’s the exterior, whether it’s the details, whether it’s the operating system:

This car is all about reduction,  but in a beautiful, sexy way. You did well.

Thank you. Always a pleasure.

Yeah, the ride was awesome. Should we take it for another spin?

Yeah. – Let’s do that.

We go again, guys!

Action, go!

This is the take two marker. Well everyone, I’m here with Christophe,  who is the chief engineer, for the brand new Mercedes-Benz EQS. And this is the car, Christophe? – Yes, it is.

Now, we’re standing next to the Mercedes-Benz VISION EQS, this is the future vision. So it’s not actually totally the same car, right?

No, it’s not totally the same car. This was the model for us to work towards and we were trying to put as much as we can from this vision into reality, whatever was technically possible. For how long have you been driving this?

Well actually, I mean we’ve been driving it  since last summer already, so I’m sure you saw these spy pics all over the place. And here in California we started off Monday and now we will basically put at least I think 3,000 miles on it until Thursday, so we’ve been a little bit busy here.

So you are actually one of the people in the world who has been putting most kilometers into this car?

Yes. That’s what we do at Mercedes-Benz. We don’t want to have the customers to test our quality, we do it upfront.

Yeah. And what are your thoughts on it?  How does it drive?

We are hitting our targets, which is very good. It is great noise wise, the drivability feels similar to the one in an Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it’s like a high luxury saloon. The comfort inside is perfect, with its roominess. We are all excited.

Speed, Christophe. How fast is it?

It can go fast.

I mean it also has the advantage of  cruising down the US 1, so you can have both.

You can, as we are used to from Mercedes-Benz, you can have everything. You can have dynamics  and you can have comfort and cruising.

Okay, and how far from production are we?

Well, we are talking about two more years probably. Is it true, Christophe, that no one outside of  Mercedes-Benz has ever been inside this car?

Yes, it is true.

What are the chances of me actually getting into it and having a go?

If you like, we can go for a ride.

If I like? I like.

You like? – Yes. – Then go in there, you’re ready for it?

Well of course I cannot take you on this ride in the inside, but I’ll tell you afterwards.

Nice!

Soft close.

Christophe, that was… – Like it?

Yes, I do really like it.  It was an experience of a lifetime, man.

Thank you so much. – Thank you.

It’s good to see you. – Yeah. You did a really good job!

See you, thank you. – See you.

What an amazing experience.

You know, as a car guy to have had a day like this, and that I was able to get to ask all the stupid questions  I wanted to, and to get all these 

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