The Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept Is The Living Room Of Your Dreams

It looks as though Mercedes-Benz is prepping its next generation of vans, debuting the Vision V concept in Shanghai today. The Vision V, which looks like it’s about the size of the bygone Metris, previews the company’s previously confirmed VLE-Class and VLS-Class vans, which will take over for the V-Class and bring the midsize van to new levels of luxury. Plainly evident via the Vision V’s chrome-heavy exterior styling and futuristic interior, the next generation of Benz vans looks to be mighty comfy indeed.

Pseudo-Throwback EV Styling

The Mercedes Vision V rides on the company’s Electric Van Architecture (EVA), as evidenced by the chrome-laden front end graphic that seems to ape the W108 S-Class of the mid-1960s. The faux grille doesn’t work as well on the van, however, where it looks a bit fussy in conjunction with the triangular headlamp elements and full-width light bar à la Mercedes-Benz CLA. Much more successful is the pair of hood humps, a longtime Mercedes styling signature that helps liven up the front appearance. Ditto the 24-inch chrome-dipped wheels, stretched to all four corners to give the Vision V an aggressive, planted stance unlike most vans. The concept also features a chrome window surround and brightly finished B-pillar, which usually signify a Mercedes-Maybach model like the GLS-Class – that isn’t the case here, but you wouldn’t know it from stepping inside.

The Vision V’s cabin is absolutely stunning, starting with a floating dashboard dominated by an EQXX-style Superscreen display suspended from two architectural outriggers that visually dovetail into the hood humps. A transparent center console separates the front seats, its design calling modern acrylic furniture to mind, and the chairs themselves are made up of nine bolster-style cushion sections with tuck-and-roll stitching. As on any modern Mercedes, ambient lighting abounds, rimming the door panel inserts, roof, and console to bathe the cabin in a cool blue hue.

Stuffed With Technology

As nice as the front row is, it’s best left to chauffeurs. The second row, comprising a pair of lounge-style seats separated by a similarly transparent center console, is a gorgeous blend of modern and vintage styling cues. The bulkhead between the front and rear seats is trimmed in gorgeous burl walnut, which also appears in a delicate ribbon that surrounds the side armrests and storage cubbies. The reclining seats, meanwhile, face a staggering 65-inch screen that deploys upward from the floor behind the first row, like a projection screen, flanked by post-mounted speakers that rotate toward the passengers when they want the best sonic quality. Even more impressive, the side windows double as displays, turning the rear cabin into a 360-degree viewing experience.

The front row’s expansive use of ambient lighting is taken to an extreme in back, trimming the side panels, sliding door, center console, and roof, including a chandelier-style dome lamp that looks like it was plucked straight from an Art Moderne mansion. There’s also a deployable tray table featuring a checkerboard in the center console, convenient given the crystal and silver chess pieces stored in a side cubby. Transparent housings for the speakers, stainless steel floor strips, and a slick cocktail shaker set make the Vision V feel more like a fancy lounge than a minivan.

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The Future Is Now

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning on putting a version of the concept into production. The forthcoming VLE-Class will serve as the entry-level product in the company’s new lineup of “grand limousines,” while a VLS-Class van will serve as the flagship – and possibly even spawn a Maybach variant, as previewed by the Vision V’s styling. The swoopy concept’s unspecified electric powertrain will also make it to production, as Mercedes has committed to both ICE and EV vans in the future, built off a modular platform whose front section can easily be produced for either propulsion method.