The Vision Tokyo follows on from the German manufacturer’s F 015 Luxury in Motion, a smaller pod-like concept vehicle unveiled earlier this year that also envisioned the future of automobiles as communal “living spaces”.
Advertisement
The newest creation to be signed by the 3-pointed star is called the Vision Tokyo Concept and this is placed into the spotlights for the second time, right after it was teased just a few days ago.
LED lights at the front and rear would offer a variety of functions, such as displaying sound patterns when music is playing inside the auto or demonstrating to other road users whether the vehicle is in autonomous or manual-drive mode, as well as indicating the direction of travel.
The Vision Tokyo is equipped with environmental sensors including a 360-degree camera on the roof that would allow it to operate driver-free.
During the Tokyo Motor Show 2015, Mercedes-Benz Connection, located in the Roppongi district of Tokyo’s Minato Ward, will act as the information center for the company. This is where vehicles like the Vision Tokyo come into play.
The interior layout dispenses with traditional seating rows for a wraparound couch similar to those found in today’s decidedly unhip stretch limousines, a nod to social media-devouring Gen Z’s supposed craving for personal contact along with their tech. The Vision Tokyo is the latest trailblazing spatial experience to come from Mercedes-Benz: its monolithic structure, futuristic design idiom and unique lounge ambience in the interior define it as luxurious, young and progressive – thus making it a fitting tribute to the sophisticated and trendsetting metropolis that is Tokyo.
This is a theoretical design study rather than a serious engineering project, but the Vision’s designed with an electric powertrain in mind, using both hydrogen fuel cells and a high-voltage, induction-charged battery. Up front, the windshield wraps all the way around, and the side glass is screen-printed in silver for privacy. The steering wheel, too, is then moved from its standby position into driving position. Viewed from the side, the Vision Tokyo shows off its only access point in and out of the vehicle, an upward-swinging door located on its left-hand side.
The hydrogen used to power the hybrid system is stored in pressurized tanks within the floor of the concept.
Advertisement
“With each journey, it becomes more familiar with its occupants, their likes and preferences”, the automaker says in a statement.
