Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept heralds next-gen people mover

The Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept is an art deco picture palace on wheels, designed to immerse passengers in parallel worlds as they travel

BY JONATHAN BELL

Mercedes is offering a preview of its upcoming Van Electric Architecture with this luxurious vision of a future MPV. The Vision V Concept sits on the VAN.EA platform and demonstrates the kind of space you can expect inside the next generation of the company’s well-established V-Class range, which takes the limo-like ambience of its high-end passenger cars and applies it to light commercial underpinnings. This currently extends to the Marco Polo compact camper as well as a number of passenger and work vans.

Luxury MPVs are having a moment. Consistently popular in Asian markets, the idea of big van-like spaces with cavernous passenger compartments for as few as two people are gaining traction in Europe and the US. A case in point is the Lexus LM, but there are a host of other models available to supply a rather more discrete chauffeur-driven experience than the classic limousine.

The Vision V certainly goes all-out on interior experience. It’s worth comparing and contrasting with the Viano Vision Diamond, a 2012 design study that represented what was then considered the cutting edge in luxury car interiors. The game has certainly moved on a bit, not least in terms of lighting, materials and screen designs. The Vision Diamond was developed in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and alongside the acres of quilted white leather there was a 40-inch media screen for the two passengers.

Vision V shows just how much the game has moved on. The multimedia focus is now a 4K 65-inch cinema screen that rises from the floor and can be used in various size configurations, backed up with audio coming out of 42 speakers, equipped with Dolby Atmos, of course. No fewer than seven projectors provide an ‘immersive user experience’. As shown here, this can encompass movies, video conferencing, gaming or even ambient backgrounds to reflect the nature of a journey. The last is enhanced by projections onto the side windows to expand the field of view.

In total, there are seven interactive worlds to explore; entertainment, gaming, work, shopping, discovery, relax and even karaoke. The seats themselves are made from tubular cushions knitted together with aluminium clasps. There are strong hints of the interior developed for the 2022 Project Maybach, the company’s second collaboration with the late designer Virgil Abloh in the seating design, as well as influences from contemporary furniture.

Aside from comfort and tech, the Vision V is all about light, representing the logical conclusion of Merc’s current fixation on ambient interior lighting schemes. Not only do surfaces glow from within but practically every material junction is an opportunity to cram in an concealed LED, creating a dizzying array of options. The central lighting feature wouldn’t be out of place in an art deco palace, whilst the sliding doors contain back-lit dark wood cabinetry containing a profusion of high-end accoutrements.

The latter include transparent speakers, a bespoke bag and a chess set – not the first time the game of kings has surfaced in a luxury auto setting in recent weeks – Rolls-Royce has just revealed its own branded chess set. A pair of ‘freestanding’ speakers flank the cinema screen, enhancing the picture palace vibes created by the lighting and the ‘Crystal’ white Nappa leather and white silk trim. Up front, your driver certainly does lose out on the screen experience, with a dashboard-spanning Superscreen display.

Externally, the Vision V has been sculpted into a pebble-like aerodynamic form with a sharply cut-off tail, marked out by a halo of LED lighting. Short overhangs front and rear make the most of the electric underpinnings and help maximise cabin space, whilst the big Mercedes grille is almost abstracted away to nothing, with just three horizontal bars contained with an oval form.

The new architecture will surface in a range of production vehicles next year. Expect elements like the vast 24-inch wheels to be downsized, as well as a more simplified exterior lighting scheme. The overall form factor should stay remarkably faithful, however. The big question is whether a similarly specified production version of the V-Class could arrive to take over at the very top of the market.