Press Release
Design: Fascinating research
- Styling is symbolic of driving pleasure and clean energy
- Family-friendly concept brimming with new ideas
- Interior design unites the past with the future
For the design team, the job of giving innovations a futuristic yet appealing form in the Mercedes research vehicles is far more than just an absorbing task. Rather, it is an exciting challenge that requires them to create a harmonious composition: an equilateral triangle of expressive forms, avantgarde vehicle concepts and unprecedented technology. The new F 600 HYGENIUS is no exception to this. Indeed, the designers' powers of imagination and creativity were called upon more than ever to fit the design language around the technical concept.
As with the technical design, the key concern during the styling process was the fuel cell. The designers were presented with their first ever opportunity to get to grips with this drive system of the future and develop ideas for accommodating it that were both stylish and practicable.
Designers from three continents were commissioned with this task: the Mercedes studios in Germany, Japan and the US drafted design proposals for the exterior, while the Como studio in Northern Italy was penned suggestions for the interior styling, the colour scheme and the materials. The result was a lively, multinational competition of design ideas. At the end of this stimulating phase, the project planners decided to give the nod to a design from the Japanese studio. The interior, including the colour scheme and materials, is entirely the work of the Mercedes designers in the studio in Como.
Bodywork design: muscle-bound lines and powerful proportions
The designers have drawn attention to the fact that this car's heart beats beneath the occupant cell with distinctive sculpting of the vehicle's flanks, whose appearance is moulded by large 20-inch wheels and flared wheel arches. The contouring of the wings evokes associations with the rippling muscles of a well-trained athlete, sending out a clear message that cars running on fuel cell technology are by no means short of fun at the wheel and dynamic performance. The extremely short body overhangs at the front and rear are a further styling feature that lends emphasis to the vehicle's powerful proportions.
The sense of power conveyed by the wheels and wings sweeps in a dynamic line into the surfaces of the doors, splitting them into two horizontal areas. Once again, the symbolism is plain to see: the somewhat minimalist, body-hugging panelling is deliberately designed to draw the onlooker's gaze to the muscular bulges below the occupant cell, the very spot where the green drive energy is generated and converted.
The power and vitality expressed by the wings and the lower sections of the doors forms a vivid contrast to the smooth surfaces above the waistline, whose taut, clean-cut lines inject a feeling of tranquillity into the overall appearance. The B pillars which slope slightly backwards and the slanted door joins are two eye-catching elements which provide a further example of form being combined with function: as well as reinforcing the dynamic flow of the body's lines, they also make it easier to get in and out of the vehicle.
Expansive glass surfaces extending into the roof produce an airy, transparent feel, afford passengers panoramic views and make travelling in the fuel cell vehicle an even more memorable experience. The designers refer to this section of the body as the "greenhouse" and have kept the bonnet short, the waistline low and the windows large to give it extra emphasis. The unconventional proportions resulting from this concept create a fresh new visual balance between the vehicle's cabin (the "greenhouse") and the rest of its body.
The styling at the front end of the F 600 HYGENIUS likewise transmits a sense of power and vitality which is underscored by the front apron with its voluminous air intakes for supplying cooling air to the drive system and by the unmistakable Mercedes radiator grille in louvred design. Both of these design elements help to give the body a wide-set feel and the research vehicle its self-assured poise. A further hallmark feature of the vehicle's nose is its pronounced arrowhead styling; a clear kink runs along the centre of the bonnet and then continues down the radiator grille to the centrepiece in the bumper and the front apron. This styling feature combines with the lines that rise towards the rear to generate an impression of dynamic forwards thrust on the one hand, whilst also giving the front end a lighter feel.
The lines flow harmoniously from the front apron and bumper back into the front wings, giving the impression that the front section forms an integral design unit. All of the constituent parts are exactly in tune with one another, both technically and stylistically, as if they had come from a single mould.
The projector modules of the headlamps add further focal points. The transparent lenses give an insight into a technology that lights the way forward into the future with high-power LEDs. The fine glass fins that subdivide the headlamp housings produce an unobtrusive yet powerful lighting effect.
Interior design: stylish symbiosis of technology and aesthetics
With its striking forms and interesting combination of materials, the interior design of the F 600 HYGENIUS also links the past with the future. In so doing, it reiterates the message transmitted by the rest of the research vehicle: that this is a car which has been equipped with the technology of the future, but without diluting the fun factor or its suitability for use as a family car. Practicality and magnetic allure have therefore been fused together into the interior's design concept.
The interior design leaves room for both traditional materials, such as wood and leather, and for revolutionary new materials, including the gel-type luminous yellow plastic which adds bold splashes of colour to the seat cushions and the footwells in the research vehicle. The soft material does more than just make a visual difference however, it also has a positive impact on occupant comfort, providing extra seat cushioning for example. The fine-mesh, open-pore fabric that adorns various trim components inside the car is also made from a brand new high-tech material.
Quite apart from forming a visual link between exterior and interior, glass is also an essential ingredient in the interior's homely feel. The light which streams into the interior through the large side windows and the glass sections of the roof is an invaluable boost to interior styling and passenger comfort. Bathed in light, the inside of the research vehicle instantly takes on an inviting feel with a reinforced sense of cosy spaciousness.
This cheerful, bright interior ambience is due in no small part to the colour scheme. The light beige leather that covers the seat cushions, the armrest and the interior door trim blends perfectly with the warm brown tone of the handcrafted fine wood and with the grey dashboard trim.
The interior designers have dispensed with a centre console in the conventional sense of the word and have instead developed a dashboard whose top section appears to be suspended freely to give it an especially light, elegant air. The same impression results from the console between the two front seats which is supported by a slender, sweeping pillar to accentuate the ample spaciousness. A comfy armrest for both driver and front passenger, the console also conceals the electrically extending COMAND controller.
The restyled individual seats promise peerless comfort at first glance, and when travelling on long journeys they live up to all expectations. This is particularly true of the driver's seat with its two-piece, moving backrest designed for a healthy, fatigue-free posture. The seats' design is a refreshing combination of wood, leather and the luminous-yellow gel, with the front seats including every conceivable extra for adjusting the fore/aft position, height and seat cushion angle to suit personal preferences. The settings can be adjusted by the driver and front passenger using the trademark pictogram switches, with the slight difference that these switches are now concealed from sight whenever they are not needed under sliding elements in the inner door panels.
Both the front passenger seat and rear seats allow child seats to be attached simply and feature backrests that can be used either way around, taking child safety to new heights and opening up new possibilities for looking after children during the journey. The cup holders in the armrest between the front seats also come with a handy feature for young families that uses energy from the fuel cell drive to keep baby bottles warm, for example. The Mercedes designers have also developed a stylish pram as an accessory for the F 600 HYGENIUS whose design and materials match the research car.
The interior's extremely cosy feel forms a deliberate contrast with the ultramodern high-tech design of the cockpit, which is dominated by a large, tinted cover panel and the control panel in the centre. The panel covers the advanced virtual colour displays which can be positioned individually by both the driver and the front passenger to bring them perfectly into view. The pushbuttons made from high-grade aluminium which are recessed into a fine-wood console enable the automatic transmission, air conditioning, navigation and phone systems to be operated quickly and simply.
Design and technology fuse together with exemplary style. Careful consideration has been given to each and every detail, never losing sight of the goal of making brand new technical innovations - such as the virtual displays, the centre control panel with automatic user recognition and the extending COMAND controller - as stimulating to use as they are to look at. The same applied to the more "normal" switches and buttons for operating the lights and the hazard warning lights which, along with the start/stop button for the drive system, have been incorporated attractively yet ergonomically into the cockpit's large cover panel.
Further controls can be found on the steering wheel, allowing drivers to scroll through their personal phone book and dial stored numbers, for example, or call up data from the trip computer. Any information summoned in this way appears on a display panel in the centre of the speedometer, including of course the item of data that distinguishes the fuel cell vehicle from a conventionally powered car: the percentage display indicating the level of hydrogen remaining in the tank beneath the occupant cell.
