Mercedes-Benz design serves to showcase a passion for automobiles in a modern design idiom. The designers focus on the Mercedes-Benz design philosophy of Sensual Purity as an expression of modern luxury. This encapsulates a key aspect of the Mercedes-Benz brand – the bipolarity of intelligence and emotion. The aim is to create clear contours and smooth surfaces that showcase hi-tech while radiating emotional appeal. For the designers, good design must be hot and cool. Every Mercedes-Benz combines these two opposites.
It is important to the designers to render this bipolarity of the Mercedes-Benz brand tangible in the vehicles. Each model series has its own distinctive character, depending on the central attributes of its design. A Mercedes-Benz is nevertheless always recognisable as such. Because in addition to incorporating new stylistic developments, the designers draw from a “gene pool” of stylistic elements which are innate to the brand, thereby keeping long-standing traditions alive. The design philosophy is defined by the Design Code. This is based on six guidelines which are interpreted accordingly for each model. In this way it is ensured that each model series has its own distinct character.
“We have been working on and with the design philosophy of Sensual Purity at Mercedes-Benz since 2009, continually evolving it as part of an ongoing process. This philosophy encapsulates an essential aspect of our brands – the bipolarity of intelligence and emotion. Good car design is integral to the cachet of each of our brands, particularly where it brings the brand’s tradition into the modern age,” says Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG Gorden Wagener. “We have thus transformed the traditional luxury of Mercedes-Benz into a modern luxury, reinterpreted the brand with the star and also made it fascinating, tangible and, above all, desirable for young customers.”
“To make complex things simple, you first need multi-layered thought processes and ways of working, which are then reduced to simple messages and impressions. And, of course, a highly motivated and well-trained team that sees things from the customer’s perspective. In a dialogue with our marketing colleagues, we have analysed the DNA of each of the brands: Where is the brand coming from? What are its defining attributes? What design features are characteristic? What do customers value about it?” Wagener adds.
“On this basis, we have defined an unmistakable aesthetic for each of our brands. In this way, we create integrated experiences spanning the brand, the product and the digital world. Thus, Mercedes-Benz stands for a modern luxury, and Mercedes-Maybach for the ultimate in luxury. Mercedes-AMG impresses with performance luxury, while EQ points the way to the future with progressive luxury.”
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 4MATIC+: Kraftstoffverbrauch kombiniert: 11,2–11,0 l/100 km; CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 256–252 g/km.4
The brand aesthetic of Performance Luxury that has been defined for Mercedes-AMG aims to tease out the aesthetic aspects inherent in the powerful appeal of the AMG brand. The ambience that the brand aims to exude is initially characterised in terms of colour. A glowing, pulsating red, positioned to accentuate it against a dark backdrop, symbolises power, passion and performance. The materials used are distinguished by their authenticity and very consciously establish a link to the high-technology world of motor racing. The use of contrasts, too, such as smooth – rough, soft – hard, shiny – matt, serves to emphasise the performance aspirations of AMG. New highlights are set by the use of more refined materials revealing, for example, a marble-like structure, thereby conveying a powerful interpretation of the concept of luxury. Dynamic graphics, shapes and their proportions create a sense of speed and underscore the muscular beauty of the brand aesthetic.
Exterior design: broad radiator grille, dominant air intakes.
Interior design: dynamically sloping centre console, sculptural instrument panel.
UI/UX: race feeling in the cockpit.
Mercedes-Maybach stands for ultimate luxury in its most cutting-edge guise. The brand’s style is embodied in sublime beauty, supreme aesthetics and elegance. Something very special is showcased for one sublime moment. This is not about wallowing in the past, but about forward-looking enhancement and refinement. The atmosphere is warm, light and airy. This is also underscored by the use of light colours, which symbolise the luxury of room and space. Black elements forge a link with Mercedes-Benz and allow precious metals to add a sublime shine. The chosen materials feature a deliberate interplay of the familiar and the innovative, exclusively crafted throughout. Ultimate precision and a loving attention to detail are demonstrated by graphic elements which are derived from the brand logo.
Exterior design: pinstripe radiator grille, expressive wheel rims.
Interior design: spaciousness, supreme exclusivity.
UI/UX: the ultimate in comfort.
The aesthetic of modern luxury is characterised by timeless beauty, a combination of high-grade technology and craftsmanship as well as a reduction to what is really important. The aim is to spark a desire for the brand. The atmosphere created by the design conveys a reduced, but not distant appearance that is modern and timeless. Black and silver are the dominant colours that create a stage for highlights, but also stage innovations to be complemented by a warm colour range. Natural materials, such as leather and wood give a feeling of being approachable and can be harmoniously combined with technical and innovative highlights. Modern graphic elements that quote the typical Mercedes-Benz style idioms or pick up on the brand make the brand identity stronger.
Exterior design: sporty, dynamic, emotional.
Interior design: new ways.
UI/UX: a new user experience.
The EQ brand gives an insight into the future and is shaped by an avant-garde, distinct aesthetic – Progressive Luxury. This arises from the combination of a previously unknown beauty, the conscious clash of digital and analogue elements as well as the seamless merging of intuitive and physical design. The atmosphere is technically cool while still promoting a sense of well-being through the synthesis of full, organic forms and a warm material environment with dark wood or wool. The addition of innovative materials and blue light accents communicates a mood of progressivity. The colour scheme, a combination of black, silver and white with accents in typically brilliant EQ blue, characterises a future-oriented technology brand. Graphic elements creating an analogy with the digital world are aesthetically implemented to maintain an air of approachability.
Exterior design: more range thanks to sensually efficient body.
Interior design: the digital experience in the real world.
UI/UX: merging of the analogue and digital worlds.
Product may vary after press date on 06.07.2018.
1 Die angegebenen Werte wurden nach dem vorgeschriebenen Messverfahren ermittelt. Es handelt sich um die „NEFZ-CO₂-Werte“ i. S. v. Art. 2 Nr. 1 Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2017/1153. Die Kraftstoffverbrauchswerte wurden auf Basis dieser Werte errechnet. Der Stromverbrauch wurde auf der Grundlage der VO 692/2008/EG ermittelt. Weitere Informationen zum offiziellen Kraftstoffverbrauch und den offiziellen spezifischen CO₂-Emissionen neuer Personenkraftwagen können dem „Leitfaden über den Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO₂-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch aller neuen Personenkraftwagenmodelle“ entnommen werden, der an allen Verkaufsstellen und bei der Deutschen Automobil Treuhand GmbH unter www.dat.de unentgeltlich erhältlich ist.
2 Die angegebenen Werte sind die „gemessenen NEFZ-CO₂-Werte“ i. S. v. Art. 2 Nr. 2 Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2017/1153, die im Einklang mit Anhang XII der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 692/2008 ermittelt wurden. Die Kraftstoffverbrauchswerte wurden auf Basis dieser Werte errechnet. Der Stromverbrauch wurde auf der Grundlage der VO 692/2008/EG ermittelt. Aufgrund gesetzlicher Änderungen der maßgeblichen Prüfverfahren können in der für die Fahrzeugzulassung und ggf. Kfz-Steuer maßgeblichen Übereinstimmungsbescheinigung des Fahrzeugs höhere Werte eingetragen sein. Weitere Informationen zum offiziellen Kraftstoffverbrauch und den offiziellen spezifischen CO₂-Emissionen neuer Personenkraftwagen können dem „Leitfaden über den Kraftstoffverbrauch und die CO₂-Emissionen neuer Personenkraftwagen“ entnommen werden, der an allen Verkaufsstellen und bei der Deutschen Automobil Treuhand GmbH unter www.dat.de unentgeltlich erhältlich ist.
4 Angaben zu Kraftstoffverbrauch, Stromverbrauch und CO₂-Emissionen sind vorläufig und wurden vom Technischen Dienst für das Zertifizierungsverfahren nach Maßgabe des WLTP-Prüfverfahrens ermittelt und in NEFZ-Werte korreliert. Eine EG-Typgenehmigung und Konformitätsbescheinigung mit amtlichen Werten liegen noch nicht vor. Abweichungen zwischen den Angaben und den amtlichen Werten sind möglich.
6 Stromverbrauch und Reichweite wurden auf der Grundlage der VO 692/2008/EG ermittelt. Stromverbrauch und Reichweite sind abhängig von der Fahrzeugkonfiguration. Weitere Informationen zum offiziellen Kraftstoffverbrauch und den offiziellen spezifischen CO₂-Emissionen neuer Personenkraftwagen können dem „Leitfaden über den Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO₂-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch aller neuen Personenkraftwagenmodelle“ entnommen werden, der an allen Verkaufsstellen und bei der Deutschen Automobil Treuhand GmbH unter www.dat.de unentgeltlich erhältlich ist.
7 Angaben zu Stromverbrauch und Reichweite sind vorläufig und wurden vom Technischen Dienst für das Zertifizierungsverfahren nach Maßgabe der UN/ECE-Regelung Nr. 101 ermittelt. Die EG-Typgenehmigung und eine Konformitätsbescheinigung mit amtlichen Werten liegen noch nicht vor. Abweichungen zwischen den Angaben und den amtlichen Werten sind möglich.