The Mercedes Vision Iconic EV brings timeless Golden Era style into the future

It looks like the Batmobile from the future. Mercedes unveiled a stunning new Vision Iconic EV concept, promising to “stand out in a sea of sameness.” The show car blends the Golden Era of auto design with advanced new tech and features like Solar Paint and Level 4 self-driving capabilities.

Meet the Mercedes Vision Iconic EV concept

The Vision Iconic offers a glimpse of the luxury brand’s new era of design. It’s no secret by now that legacy automakers are struggling to keep up with the influx of new, more advanced, and oftentimes better-looking EVs coming out of China, South Korea, and other regions.

Mercedes is drawing inspiration from its past icons to revamp the brand with a fresh new look. The first thing you’ll notice is the redesigned grille.

The updated grille design was first shown on the new GLC in August. After introducing a closed-off grille design on its first electric vehicles, Mercedes is going back to a more traditional luxury style with a massive, bold new look.

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Mercedes said the new front face, showcased on the Vision Iconic, enables the brand to “stand out from the sea of sameness.” And that it does. The concept builds on it with an illuminated upright star on the bonnet.

The electric coupe is inspired by the Golden Era of auto design, the 1930s. It draws inspiration from Mercedes’ icons, like the 300 SL and 600 Pullman.

According to Mercedes’ chief designer, Gorden Wagener, the Vision Iconic is “more than just an automobile – it is a sculpture in motion, a homage to timeless elegance, and a statement for the future.”

The concept is more than just a beautiful show car. It’s also packed with Mercedes’ most advanced tech and features.

An entirely new driving experience

Inside, the Vision Iconic is defined by “lounge-like comfort” and an entirely new digital experience. The instrument panel is a floating glass structure Mercedes calls “Zeppelin.”

Once you open the door, the instrument cluster comes to life with a screen stretching pillar to pillar. At the center, one of the four clocks is shaped like the Mercedes’ logo and acts as an AI assistant. The massive four-spoke steering wheel almost looks like something you’d find on a sailboat.

With steer-by-wire, Mercedes claims the Vision Iconic offers an entirely new steering experience with rear axle steering.

Mercedes said it’s also looking into using solar modules applied to the body of an EV to draw energy from the sun and extend the driving range.

According to Mercedes, an area of 11 square meters, or about the size of a mid-size SUV, could produce energy for up to 12,000 km (7,456 miles) a year in ideal conditions. The coating can be easily recycled and does not contain any rare earths or silicon.

Mercedes said the solar cells have a high efficiency of 20% and generate energy constantly, even if the vehicle is off.

And that’s not all of it. The company is also advancing neuromorphic computing, which Mercedes said “has the potential to reduce the energy requirements for data processing in autonomous driving by 90 percent compared to today’s systems.”

The Vision Iconic will come with Level 2 autonomous driving capabilities, but on the highway, Level 4 autonomy is activated.

Will we ever see the Vision Iconic on the road? Don’t get your hopes up, as it’s just a show car. However, you can expect to see several elements and new tech make their way into upcoming Mercedes models.

What do you think of the electric show car? A timeless design? Or should Mercedes head back to the drawing board yet again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.