The stunning Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS show car, revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show overnight, shines the spotlight on future zero-emissions luxury saloon motoring and the continued expansion of the electrified Mercedes-Benz EQ family.
With a so-called "one bow" silhouette, the Vision EQS presents a powerful and sculptured exterior that gives the show car a luxurious appearance and aerodynamic elegance.
A prominent visual feature of the show car is the continuous "lightbelt" which structures the exterior in a new way. The resulting colour division at shoulder level creates the impression of a "black panel" glass landscape floating on the silver vehicle body – a seamlessly connected vehicle surface from the striking EQ front grille to the rear.
Future technologies include the Digital Light headlamps, each with two holographic lens modules, integrated into the continuous 360-degree exterior lightbelt. These allow an almost unlimited number of light variations and provide an outlook on future light configurations by Mercedes-Benz.
Interaction between the vehicle and its environment is not just limited to the lights in the Vision EQS. The digital front grille, which realises a light matrix consisting of 188 individual LEDs as a world first, provides a new level in precise signalling. Once the black panel comes to life, the seemingly free-floating stars and pixels create a three-dimensional effect.
The Vision EQS interior takes its inspiration from luxury yachts with the dashboard blending with the body of the front trim section to form an interior sculpture which envelops the occupants like the deck of a boat. The fully integrated sculpture consisting of the combined dashboard, centre console and armrests floats above the generous interior and provides an outlook on the interiors of future Mercedes-Benz luxury saloons.
The interior also employs sustainable materials including Dinamica microfibre in crystal white which is used alongside native figured maple trim made from recycled PET bottles.
An artificial leather is used which has a finely structured surface similar to nappa leather. The material used for the roof liner is a high-quality textile created using a quantity of recycled "ocean waste" plastic.
The Vision EQS interior sculpture is also a stage for the future with digital content able to be experienced by immersion over the entire surface, creating an all-embracing atmosphere. The blending of materials and information illustrates a possible intuitive interaction in the future.
The trendsetting interior includes Haptic highlights such as the air vents integrated into the trim element like inlays and sophisticated speaker covers in rosé gold.
By using electric motors at the front and rear axles and integrating the battery into the floor between the axles, the Vision EQS provides the basis for high-level performance and safety from electric all-wheel drive with axle-variable torque distribution.
With more than 350kW of output and immediately available torque of about 760Nm, the Vision EQS accelerates from 0-100 km/h in under 4.5 seconds and will have a top speed of more than 200km/h. Thanks to an intelligent operating strategy, the show car has a range of up to 700km according to the WLTP test regime.
The lithium-ion battery, developed by Daimler subsidiary Accumotive, has a capacity of approximately 100kWh. Assuming a charging performance of 350kW, recharging to 80 per cent takes less than 20 minutes.
The Vision EQS is based on a completely new and scalable electric drive platform which can be used on a cross-model basis. The wheelbase and track, as well as all other system components, including the battery, can be varied and are suitable for a wide range of different vehicle concepts.
The vehicle structure is based on a multi-material mix of steel, aluminium, carbon fibre and recycled materials to achieve the requirements of lightweight design, strength, cost efficiency and sustainability.
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