German carmaker Mercedes-Benz is hoping to redefine vans as luxury VIP shuttles with its Vision V concept, unveiled this week at the Auto Shanghai motor show.
Unveiled yesterday, Vision V features a roomy cabin, accommodating two fully reclining seats upholstered in white Nappa leather and a retractable 65-inch screen with integrated gaming controllers.
Mercedes-Benz Vans will use the concept as a blueprint for future production models, ushering in a “new era” for the brand.
“This show car embodies the perfect harmony between luxury and van design, setting a new benchmark for the future,” said Mercedes-Benz Group’s chief design officer Gorden Wagener.
The concept car is centred around the cabin, which Mercedes-Benz likens to a “private lounge” with an “enormous amount of space”.
Integrated “display cabinets” finished in glass, burr wood and polished aluminium can be used to hold personal items as well as holding gaming controllers and some of the car’s 42 speakers.
Rendered in the same material palette, the central console hides a custom room fragrance bottle and a fold-out table that doubles as a chessboard should the need to play arise mid-journey.
It also includes a touchpad to operate the van’s integrated infotainment, which is the real star of the show.
A retractable 65-inch cinema screen automatically glides up through transparent slats in the floor once passengers are seated.
The van’s side windows can become additional screens, seven projectors helping to expand the field of vision when watching films or gaming.
Some of the van’s 42 speakers “protrude stylishly” from the side walls while others are embedded in the seats to provide tactile feedback while listening to music, accompanied by lighting that responds to the beat.
Other settings include karaoke mode and relax mode, in which a calming landscape moves across the screen to soft music.
The glass wall separating the cabin from the chauffeur can be turned from transparent to opaque, either entirely or in sections, using liquid crystals that are aligned using electrical voltage.
Illuminated glass louvres help to define the van’s exterior details, framing the headlights and decorating the chrome radiator grille and 24-inch wheels.
More than 400 of these louvres also encircle the van’s rear end to serve as taillights and brake lights.
Other unusual concept cars that have recently featured on Dezeen include a “mini-supercar” from Renault with motors in its wheels and Jaguar’s controversial Type 00.
The Shanghai motor show, known as Auto Shanghai, takes place from 23 April to 2 May 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
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