Vision Mercedes-Maybach to Debut at Auto China 2018
Move over, BMW I8. This all-electric beauty is set to steal the luxury EV crown.
Mercedes-Benz will officially debut the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury at the Auto China 2018 in Beijing from April 27 through May 4. The design of this crossover, based on an exclusive high-end saloon and an SUV, follows M-B’s philosophy of “sensual purity.”
The show car combines the comfort and typical strengths of both body styles. These include the raised seating position and the athletic looks. The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is conceived as an electric vehicle with four compact permanent-magnet synchronous motors and fully variable all-wheel drive.
“The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury is a totally new archetype of a kind never seen before,” says Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Daimler AG. “Our concept combines the DNA of an SUV with that of a saloon to produce an ultra-modern SUV of three-box design,” says Wagener. “With sensuality and pure sophistication, we have created a timeless vehicle that underscores the position of Mercedes-Maybach as the ultimate luxury brand.”
Continuing the Mercedes-Maybach Success Story
The concept vehicle not only embodies the Mercedes-Maybach design language, it also reflects the traditional brand values while continuing the successful Mercedes-Maybach story. True to the principle of creating “the very best from the very best”, Mercedes-Maybach stands for the ultimate in luxury while uniting the perfection of Mercedes-Benz with the exclusivity of Maybach.
The show car also merges influences from the Western and Far Eastern hemispheres to deliver an appealing automotive cultural dialogue. For instance, use is made of “Magic Wood,” ebony, which is traditional in Chinese furniture design. The same motif is also underlined by the combination of SUV and notchback saloon, which are the most successful body styles not only internationally, but especially on the Chinese market.
In the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury, spaciousness and comfort, in combination with the raised seating position, elegant design and finest materials, particularly in the rear, give rise to a luxury experience at the highest level. The vehicle stands in exemplary manner for the typical Mercedes-Maybach values: traditional craftsmanship, uniqueness and individualization.
Exterior Design: Harmony of Sensuality and Purity
Smooth, extravagant surfaces with no beads or sharp edges create an image of sporty elegance: the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury has a majestic look. With its balanced proportions, the vehicle has tremendous presence.
The front end is accentuated by the distinctive chrome-plated radiator grille with its fine vertical bars in the style of a pinstripe suit. The new grille design celebrated its world premiere in the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6, the exclusive coupé concept car that delighted aficionados and fans of the brand in 2016. It also inspired the latest reinterpretation for the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
In combination with the low-profile front headlamps with three lamp units, the grille dominates the front view of the vehicle while emphasizing its brand affiliation. The large air inlets along with the horizontal air inlet with integral chrome blades underline the sportiness of the SUV saloon while lending it a dynamic look.
The air inlets are crossed by the brand’s typical honeycomb pattern. A continuous trim strip extends from the split bonnet across the roof through to the rear end.
Unlike a conventional saloon, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury offers a significantly higher, SUV-typical seating position and therefore a sublime driving experience. This addresses the desire of many customers for a feeling of protection and security – a challenge for the designers.
Ultimately, the task was to harmoniously transfer the familiar three-box design – hood, passenger compartment and trunk – to an SUV-like architecture. This produces an interesting tension between the poles of sportiness and Mercedes-Maybach luxury.
The upright C-pillar, long, gently forward-sloping hood and compact notchback dominate the sportily elegant side view. The muscular volume of the flank is accentuated by a long wheelbase and short rear overhangs. The overall appearance is rounded off by 24-inch wheels that have a turbine look.
Truncated running boards in machined aluminium are integrated in the lower door area. They are illuminated in white and bear the Maybach logo. The overall vehicle is accentuated by subtle chrome trim above the running boards as well as in the lower area of the front and rear ends. The electrically extending door handles are flush with the sides.
At the rear end, the three-part lamps are reminiscent of the design of the front headlamps. Situated above them is the visually vertically split rear window. Another striking feature is the modeled under-ride guard with diffuser look. It, too, is permeated by the Maybach pattern from the front end.