This New Mercedes-Benz All-Electric Concept Is a Bonkers Ode to Art Deco
The rakish EV’s look is inspired by the marque’s pre-war coupes.
Mercedes-Benz is ready to illuminate its future.
The German luxury marque unveiled a glamorous concept called the Vision Iconic on Tuesday. The EV, which is meant to offer up a glimpse of where the automaker’s design language is heading, features a sleek Art Deco-inspired look and a giant grille that glows.
History is filled with awkward-looking vehicles meant to pay tribute to a brand’s golden age, but the Vision Iconic is not one of them. The rakish EV is truly stunning thanks, in no small part, to its stretched-out profile and flowing lines meant to call to mind the coupes the brand built in the 1930s and ‘40s.
Especially striking is the front of the vehicle’s elongated nose. It features an exaggerated version of the illuminated grille that’ll be present on the company’s battery-powered models going forward, like the upcoming 2027 GLC, winged by a set of three-star motif headlights. We’re also fond of the vented side panels, sloping roofline, and the minimalist taillights that accentuate the shape of the vehicle’s rear. All in all, the concept doesn’t look all that dissimilar from the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 prototype from the last decade, only more streamlined.

The Vision Iconic’s interior is just as much of a showstopper. The two-person cabin was designed to feel like a luxurious lounge and features a plush, velvet-covered bench instead of individual seats. But what’s most intriguing about the airy space is the lack of digital touchscreens. Instead, analog controls and gauges, like a rather old-fashioned four-spoke steering wheel, abound on both sides of the dashboard.
The Vision Iconic appears to be a design study first and foremost, and as such, the mechanical details are scarce. Mercedes did say that the vehicle’s body is covered in a thin layer of solar modules that will help charge the vehicle’s battery. The company estimates that the photovalic-active surface could produce energy for up to approximately 12,000km of range per year in sunnier climates.

Other intriguing features include a steer-by-wire system that Mercedes claims will make a vehicle as long as the Vision Iconic safer to handle and easier to park. Finally, anyone who’d like to relax and focus on their surroundings rather than the cars in front of them can trigger a Level 4 automated driving system to help get them to their destination. It’s that last feature that may be the most outlandish of the bunch.
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Courtesy of Patricks
