What a relief...the Aesthetic S is more bas relief than traditional concept car.
It’s getting crowded at the top. All manner of new premium luxury sedans are coming to market and not to be outdone, Mercedes-Benz is offering a hint of what its next-generation S-Class will look like with the upcoming Aesthetics S Concept.
Set for a formal debut at the Paris Motor Show, later this month, the Aesthetics S isn’t your typical show car, however, but the automotive equivalent of a bas relief sculpture, which the automaker describes as “an artistic glimpse of the design of the luxury saloon of the foreseeable future.”
How much of the next S-Class can we see in the images the maker has released? That remains to be seen, of course, but it clearly continues the steady move away from the heavy-handed, Teutonic barges of decades past, evolving into a sleek and elegant, wind-cheating form that nonetheless maintains a sense of power and prestige in the almost coupe-like roof and wide rear haunches.
A digitally enhanced look at the Aesthetics S.
“The characteristic lines of the S-Class have always represented the expression of automotive culture, as we understand it. The new S-Class will continue this tradition and, with its striking lines, will put a face to our design philosophy over the coming years,” Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars, explained in a release describing the Aesthetics S. The Aesthetics S, he suggested, is comprised of “sensual shapes and stylish sportiness.”
One thing that hasn’t changed is Mercedes’ flair for the melodramatic. Its auto show events have become – quite literally – three-ring circuses, with musicians, acrobats and just about everything but the elephants.
The maker promises the concepts “shape will be revealed through projected light reflections, creating a three-dimensional world in which the creative imagination of the designers can be visualized to impressive effect. “ On hand for the circus, er, preview will be four prior-generation S-Class models known by their platform codenames the 189, 108, 126 and 221.
A number of spy shots of the real 2014 Mercedes S-Class have begun to surface. The look, as the Aesthetics S suggests, will be markedly different from the current flagship sedan and borrows heavily from the well-received F800 Style concept vehicle.
Inside, the word is evolution, rather than revolution. The basic layout appears to maintain the current dimensions, overall, though the upper and layout elements of the center console appear to flow together almost as one, rather than being divided up into multiple layers. It appears Mercedes is continuing to migrate away from traditional gauges to a full reconfigurable video gauge cluster while also enlarging the touchscreen display atop the center stack.
Anticipate even more “smart” safety features able to take control in an emergency, sources promise, while new passive safety technology will include the new “beltbag” inflatable seatbelt system that Ford gets credit for introducing into the auto industry on several models including the new Explorer.
Under the hood, the new S-Class is expected to get a mix of six-, eight- and 12-cylinder gas powerplants, as well as a small turbo-four diesel and a new hybrid driveline. The current S400 hybrid has proven an unexpected success, especially in China, suggesting that the most affluent of luxury buyers want more than just their cash to flash green.
But don’t expect Mercedes to walk away from the performance market. In keeping with its recent strategy the new 2014 S-Class is expected to deliver a more BMW-influenced driving experience, especially in the form of the next-generation AMG model.
The production car should be ready for unveiling during upcoming auto show season and hit showrooms in Europe by spring or early summer of 2013 as a 2014 model.
The next Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be facing some tough competition from the likes of the newly updated 2013 Lexus LS and BMW 7-Series models, as well as the still-new Audi A8 and even the Hyundai Equus, the Korean makers first entry into the premium luxury segment.