Mercedes’ Rolling VIP Room Concept Van Makes an S-Class Look Cramped
The concept features a 65-inch rear-seat entertainment system, a hidden chess board, and a partition. The post Mercedes’ Rolling VIP Room Concept Van Makes an S-Class Look Cramped appeared first on The Drive.
Mercedes-Benz is branching into a new niche of the minivan segment. The company traveled to the biennial Shanghai auto show to present a concept called Vision V that’s positioned at the intersection of people-hauling vans and limousines. While the design study looks nothing like a stereotypical prom limo, it offers an upscale, futuristic-looking interior that’s loaded with tech. It’s headed to production, too.
As you approach the Vision V, the wide sliding door automatically opens to reveal seats that kind of look like someone at Mercedes skinned the Michelin Man. We’re told that they’re inspired by the world of high-end lounge chairs and that the tubular cushions are highly flexible. The best seats in the house are out back: The rear passengers travel on individual, power-adjustable seats that can fully recline into a bed.
Several features lend credibility to the claim that the Vision V was developed as a modern version of classic Mercedes limousines, like the 600 Pullman. There’s a partition separating the driver’s area from the rear compartment, which the brand refers to as a Private Lounge, and it can be changed from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. The side panels feature open-pore wood trim with LED accents, and the center console can be configured in several ways. In its most basic configuration, it’s an armrest with an integrated display cabinet. But, if you’re bored, it features a fold-out table that extends into a chessboard; The chess pieces are stored in a cabinet added to the driver’s side of the van. We wonder what kind of trick suspension you need to deliver a ride that’s smooth enough for an impromptu game of chess.
If you find chess too old-school, Mercedes has you covered. It added a retractable, 65-inch screen that boasts a 4K resolution. The display features a split-screen function, so the rear passengers can simultaneously watch and/or play different things, and it’s wired to a surround sound system with 42 speakers (!), including some that are embedded in the seats and that turn music into a haptic experience. It sounds like the final boss of rear-seat entertainment systems, but Mercedes notes the passengers can also use the screen to work or shop online.
The driver (or, more likely, the chauffeur) faces a three-spoke steering wheel and a high-resolution display that stretches across the entire dashboard. It’s an evolution of the Superscreen system that fuses a digital instrument cluster, the infotainment system’s touchscreen, and a display for the front passenger into a single unit. Users can customize many of the features packed into this software by creating profiles.
Visually, the Vision V features a love-it-or-hate-it look characterized by a chrome grille with illuminated glass louvers, a light bar, and an illuminated three-pointed star. Walk around to the back, and you’ll find a window framed by over 450 individual lighting elements. We’d argue that the proportions are pretty sleek for a van; This concept is a lot more interesting to look at than the average delivery-spec box. We hope you like what you see, because Mercedes notes that the Vision V ushers in the next evolution of its design philosophy.
Mercedes hasn’t released technical specifications. All we know is that the Vision V rides on the modular Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA) platform that’s currently being developed to underpin the company’s next generation of vans, including the Sprinter. This tells us that the concept is very likely electric and that bringing it to production is a lot easier than it might sound, at least from a technical standpoint.
We won’t have to wait long to find out what’s next for the Vision V: Mercedes stressed that the concept will spawn a production model. It’s too early to tell when we’ll see the van in the metal for the first time, what it will be called, and whether it will be sold in the United States.
On a secondary level, it will be interesting to see if models like the Vision V can make the minivan cool again. Volkswagen is trying with the retro ID. Buzz. Volvo tossed its hat in the ring with the Chinese market-only EM90, and even Lexus sells a van named LM in some markets.
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The post Mercedes’ Rolling VIP Room Concept Van Makes an S-Class Look Cramped appeared first on The Drive.
