Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its updated design language via its new Concept A Sedan. While many of its production cars have gradually adopted the new “no folds” philosophy, the Concept A Sedan and earlier AMG GT Concept are the premiere examples of the styling theory.
The flowing bodywork and absence of hard edges is likely a precursor to what Benz will roll out in the coming years, especially after the A Sedan arrived at the Shanghai Motor Show looking like the GT Concept’s baby brother.
Mercedes is definitely sticking to this aesthetic and, when it begins production on its next generation of small cars using the MFA2 architecture, expect gobs of similarities between those vehicles and these concepts. While 2.76 inches shorter and 1.18 inches lower than the present-day CLA, it’s the easiest car to parallel the A Sedan with. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the CLA reemerging with the concept’s more rounded shape and smaller headlamps.
“Our Concept A Sedan shows that the time of creases is over,” said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Daimler AG, in a media release. “With its perfect proportions and a sensual treatment of surfaces with reduced lines, it is the next milestone of ‘Sensual Purity’ and has the potential to introduce a new design era.”
Adding to the Concept A Sedan’s evolved design scheme is an AMG Panamericana grille, multi-color headlights, panoramic glass roof, and a fairly high beltline. While none of those are guaranteed to make it onto a production vehicle, odds are good that those side windows aren’t going to get much bigger.
Sensual Purity has garnered a lot of praise in recent weeks for its clean lines, but it’s also a little vanilla from some angles. That could be the reason Mercedes keeps showcasing these hypothetical models in hyper-gloss candy apple red instead of the typical silver paint jobs synonymous with modern concept cars. Red is the more exciting color and might keep would-be detractors from realizing just how round the new design actually is. Still, nobody is going to accuse the Benz concepts of having the bubble body of a third generation Ford Taurus.
[Images: Mercedes-Benz]
What did Toyota start with that gaping maw on its cars?
Suddenly mid ’90’s Taurus sedans look (ahem) cutting edge. Oh well, at least it makes buying choices easier, as in no Benz to concern myself with looking at! Blea!
You can’t out-crease an already creased and sharp edged vehicle. Nothing left to do but to go back to soft and round shapes. Then we will go back to sharp edges in 2030.
So we’re returning to the “bar of soap” era already?
Good, maybe people will stop complaining about the Holden GTO.
Looks like ****.
I see a bit of Audi design language there (just a bit).
I hope that one day the styling trend of large, useless black plastic expanses (looking at that gaping black void under the grill) dies with fire. I almost want to go outside in my parking lot here at work and hug a co-worker’s W114!
I feel like this is how automakers save paint, just slab on unpainted plastic to shave a few bucks.
I heard it was because the Chinese market loves big grilles, that now every automaker fits big front grilles.
Look at an 80s Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable, VW Passat, Merkur XR4Ti – they didn’t actually need grilles, a small intake under the bumper gave adequate cooling. (Yes they were later facelifted with grilles – Merkur case the 1990 Ford Sierra)
Wasn’t Sensual Purity in Ron Jeremy’s last film?
It’s gorgeous.
Yay, creases are over!
They didn’t manage to remove all the rubber from those wheels.
Is that just left on for shipping?
It’s a black coating to protect the rimz.
Eeeww… hope it peels off easy.
I’m seeing more of the current Volvo design language in the nose than anything else.
LOL.
Volvo, or Maserati, or Ford, etc.
these EU compliant noses are all flat bullnosed, gaping grilled, stuffed-hamster-cheeked, squinty-eyed repetitions of each other.
Looks like animator Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run) created the mouth on the front fascia.
I don’t like any of the new Mercedes-Benz variants with vertical slats. It’s a very unseemly motif and makes them look like something out of River Monsters.
I don’t like the trend for the big badge. To me an elegant Mercedes, like the S class, has a horizontally slatted grille with a bonnet ornament.
The big badge on a sedan looks like a poorly modified 1980s 190.
The front clip looks like an angry Japanese manga character.
It looks like it’s bent.
Surely Skoda are already there with the minimalist design theme?
This is the nicest gift that Mercedes could have given to Cadillac, but I’m sure GM will screw up this opening. At least Audis still look like they have a bit of class.
I like the front-three-quarter top image. It looks chunky and cute, like a cartoon Lancia Appia. It doesn’t look premium though, not even a tiny bit in some ironic way. The rear-three-quarter just looks awful.