Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic: A masterpiece for a new iconic era

• A show car inspired by the brands rich heritage and designed for its future
•  Infused with the latest technologies including Solar Paint, Level 4 automated driving and neuromorphic computing, Vision Iconic perfectly blends beauty and technology
•  Stunning chrome grille reinterprets road presence for the electric and digital age and interior perfectly presents hyper-analogue luxury paired with a lounge-like feel
• An exclusively designed capsule collection of six carefully designed outfits for men and women translates the essence of the show car into fashion

Mercedes-Benz has entered a new era of iconic design. Representing this evolution, Vision Iconic show car embodies the freedom to think beyond convention – as a creative impulse that opens new perspectives and builds a bridge between past and future. Besides an opulent yet timeless presence, a central feature is the reinterpretation of one of the most recognisable elements in automotive history: the iconic Mercedes‑Benz radiator grille. This so-called iconic grille, first introduced with the all-new electric GLC, expresses both emotion and intelligence, and enables Mercedes-Benz to stand out from the sea of sameness.

“Vision Iconic embodies our vision for the future of mobility. With groundbreaking innovations such as neuromorphic computing, steer-by-wire, solar paint, and Level 4 highly automated driving, along with state-of-the-art technology, we are setting new standards for the electric and digital age. This beautiful vehicle is a testament to our commitment to making the mobility of tomorrow a reality today.” Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes‑Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Procurement

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“Inspired by the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s, this show car embodies the pure essence of Mercedes‑Benz. With its seemingly hood giving it a majestic presence, sculptural flowing lines, and a touch of Art Deco, it rises to become a true icon of automotive beauty. The interior with its continuous bench seat and the elegant rear, evoking memories of the legendary 300 SL. Our 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 symbiosis of traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art technology, and an unmistakable design language makes it the ultimate expression of value, prestige, and grace:
the most beautiful, most prestigious kind of thing.”
Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Mercedes-Benz Group AG

Reimagining the iconic grille for a new era

The front is defined by the iconic grille. It is a striking, forward-looking homage to the traditional chrome grille, which as a key design element has shaped the face of Mercedes-Benz for over 100 years. The iconic grille draws inspiration from the upright grilles of legendary models such as the W 108, W 111 and the Mercedes- Benz 600 Pullman.

With its wide chromed frame, a smoked-glass lattice structure and integrated contour lighting the iconic grille merges heritage with digital modernity. It radiates presence, status and a strong sense of Mercedes-Benz identity. This new face of the brand was first introduced with the all-new electric GLC in September 2025. Vision Iconic builds on this strong presence by even illuminating the upright star on the bonnet. 

Emotionalisation through illumination

Vision Iconic perfectly demonstrates the brand’s elevated design language by refining the iconic grille – bold, upright and proud – to a digital status front and by integrating the brightly illuminated star on the bonnet. The illumination of the iconic star and the chrome grille in combination with animation scenarios for the grille demonstrate the importance of light integration for the emotionalisation of digital design. The distinctive front design is enriched through slim, modern and self-confident headlights infused with the latest lighting technology. The deep black high-gloss paint finish emphasises the sculptural exterior design of the show car.

Hyper-analogue and lounge comfort: the interior of Vision Iconic represents a new kind of journey

With automated driving, the role of the car’s interior is evolving. Vision Iconic offers a glimpse into this future, characterised by lounge-like comfort and an entirely new experience of hyper-analogue and digital luxury.

The interior of Vision Iconic redefines automotive elegance through an opulent Art Deco-inspired composition of finest craftsmanship and exclusive materials. The centrepiece of the instrument panel is a floating glass structure, the so called “Zeppelin” – a sculptural form that reveals a captivating interior of artfully designed details and a refined interplay of analogue and digital instruments. 

As the door is opened, the instrument cluster comes to life with a cinematic, entirely analogue animation inspired by high-end chronographs. The pillar-to-pillar screen concept blends technology seamlessly into the interior. At the centre, one of the four clocks is shaped like the brand logo, acting as an AI companion. 

Behind the Zeppelin, a generous decorative surface unfolds into a breathtaking inlay of lustrous mother-of-pearl look, offering both visual depth and artisanal finesse. Intricate mother-of-pearl marquetry also graces the door panels, encircling finely crafted and polished brass door handles in silver-gold tones before flowing into a radiant, star pattern that frames the rear seat with elegance. Driver and passenger can share the spacious, sumptuously upholstered front bench seat in deep blue velvet – fostering a sense of joint relaxation and luxury experience. 

In front of the driver the four spoke steering wheel highlights a sporty yet elegant character. The Mercedes‑Benz logo floats inside a glass sphere, clasped by the spokes like a jewel. The vehicle floor is clad in elaborate straw marquetry, a luxurious decorative technique dating back to the 17th century and revived in the 1920s. Rendered in a classic fan-shaped Art Deco motif, this handcrafted finish brings historic artistry into the modern era. 

Innovative solar coating for additional range

Mercedes-Benz is researching innovative solar modules that could be seamlessly applied to the bodywork of electric vehicles, similar to a wafer-thin paste. The photovoltaic-active surface could be adaptable to various substrates. When applied to the entire vehicle surface of the Iconic Vision, additional range could be harnessed from the sun, depending on geographical location and local conditions. As an example, an area of 11 square meters (equivalent to the surface of a mid-size SUV) could produce energy for up to 12,000 kilometres a year under ideal conditions^[1]. The coating does not contain any rare earths or silicon and can be easily recycled. The solar cells have a high efficiency of 20 percent and generate energy continuously – even when the vehicle is switched off.

Neuromorphic computing revolutionises energy efficiency and latency in autonomous driving

Future vehicle models like Vision Iconic will include more and more functionalities, such as autonomous driving. This will lead to significantly higher energy requirements. Efficiency is therefore a crucial factor. With its research into artificial neural networks, Mercedes-Benz is breaking new ground in the development of computer architectures together with partners from research and industry. Neuromorphic computing mimics the functioning of the human brain. This could make AI calculations significantly more energy-efficient and faster. Safety systems, for example, could better recognize traffic signs, lanes, and other road users and react faster, even in poor visibility conditions – and would be 10 times more efficient than current systems. Neuromorphic computing has the potential to reduce the energy requirements for data processing in autonomous driving by 90 percent compared to today’s systems.

New kind of journey

As a true pioneer, Mercedes-Benz stands at the forefront of development in assisted and automated driving systems. Thanks to our sophisticated safety-based approach, further enhanced Level 2 point-to-point urban capabilities come standard in Vision Iconic.

With this system, Mercedes-Benz offers expert handling of complex urban traffic scenarios, with cooperative steering and acceleration as a unique feature. It helps the driver navigate busy streets in the world’s biggest cities. The logical next development step to conditionally automated driving would be to prepare a car like Vision Iconic with a Level 4 highly automated driving system. After entering the freeway and activating the Level 4 system, the driver could use the time to relax without having to deal with traffic at all. It would be also possible and permissible to take a nap or get comfortable while streaming the latest trending video including an immersive sound and ambient light experience. The car becomes a luxurious lounge. 

After arriving at the destination, relaxed and refreshed, one would step out of Vision Iconic and let the Mercedes handle the rest. With the highly automated parking feature utilising the car’s sophisticated sensor architecture, Mercedes-Benz gives its customers back time, since no driver is needed for parking. Without the limitation to any infrastructure the Level 4 parking function is available for nearly all parking scenarios.

New steering feel for an unparalleled customer experience

With steer-by-wire a completely new steering experience combined with maximum safety becomes reality at Mercedes-Benz. Especially the perfect interaction with rear-axle steering for a long car like Vision Iconic the advantages of this technology become obvious: handling would improve and manoeuvring and parking would become easier. This is because steer-by-wire can further reduce the effort required and it eliminates the need to re-grip the steering wheel while parking. This technology does not require a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels. Instead, the driver’s steering requests are transmitted quickly and electrical via control units and actuators.

Furthermore, steer-by-wire leads to more flexibility in interior design. In combination with future conditionally and highly automated driving systems like ADAS, the driver could have an even more relaxed position – for example on the spacious, sumptuously upholstered bench seat in Vision Iconic.

Glamorous style and geometric shapes: the Vision Iconic capsule collection

Together with the show car, Mercedes‑Benz is presenting a capsule collection consisting of six carefully designed outfits for men and women. With dark blue nuances and silver-gold accents, the outfits not only reflect the luxurious colour scheme of Vision Iconic but also play with the graphic elements of the show car’s interior. In this way, the collection captures the essence of Art Deco by combining the lavish luxury of the 1920s and 1930s with the finest craftsmanship and exquisite materials. Each piece celebrates the attention to detail and the use of distinctively chosen fabrics that are characteristic of this iconic period. The capsule collection pays homage to the Shanghai Fashion Week, which takes place during the world premiere of Vision Iconic.

Dedicated Design Book about the new iconic era at Mercedes-Benz

This approach is now summarised for the first time ever in the ICONIC DESIGN Book. Deeply inspired by the brands heritage, the book was developed by the Mercedes‑Benz design team and is a gateway to understanding the “New Iconic Era” at Mercedes‑Benz. It illustrates how Mercedes-Benz stands out in a sea of sameness, highlighting that uniqueness lies not only in the new iconic grille but also in the knowledge and craftsmanship that come with the rich heritage that only Mercedes-Benz possesses. The book features exclusive interviews with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius and Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener, along with stunning imagery and a glimpse of another show car.