Paris 2016: Mercedes Generation EQ explores electro-fusion
Mercedes-Benz blends a host of formats to create the first EV for its new EQ family
Just like Volkswagen, Mercedes has used the Paris show to unveil its new EV platform and, just like Volkswagen, it has also taken the chance to explore how its EVs will look when they arrive in the next few years.
Symbolic of the fact that the Generation EQ show car represents a whole family of vehicles, its format is slightly hard to pin down, as it looks somewhere between an allroad shooting brake and a regular crossover.
The pre-show teaser alluded to a DRG that was almost identical to VW’s Budd-e concept shown at CES earlier in the year. In reality, it looks quite different, and seems to have a bit more plan shape. We can also deduce that blue is definitely the colour of EV.
Following Mercedes’ regular car range, surfaces are kept simple, even eschewing the dropping line of those cars. The unadorned bodysides mean your eye is drawn to details like the flap for the electric plug, which is outlined in blue, and the rear-view camera at the base of the A-pillars.
The rear of the concept offers a development of the coupe lights of current Mercedes, albeit completely chrome free – instead, the material of choice is gloss, switched-off smartphone black.
The interior is also pared back, with most buttons replaced by touch or gesture controls built into the steering wheel and centre console, with relevant information shown on the 530mm x 110mm driver-configurable TFT display.
Each seat appears to float, helped by blue lighting that contrasts with the white material used throughout. The seats are also quite tech heavy, and include headrest-mounted speakers, while the front seat backs include near-holographic map displays for the rear-seat passengers.
As with the exterior, the cabin has been paired back to a fairly significant effect, allowing the details to appear. These can be a little too simplistic, like the + and - on the accelerator and brake pedals, in referencing the car’s powertrain, but the air vents do look quite intriguing, with their clean blue look a more subtle nod to the cleaner air this car could contribute to.
Just as with the VW, we’re left a little underwhelmed by the fact that the designers haven’t been able to truly embrace the opportunities that electric drive packaging allow. Hopefully, once we begin to see more models appear from each brand’s EV family, then we’ll see greater expression of the design potential that these cars have.
