Once sometime ago being regarded for its old-man image, Mercedes’ planned revamp comes as the automaker overtook BMW in global luxury-car sales, and aims to avoid the complacency that has tripped its rivals ahead with sexy designs.
The Mercedes compact class range (A-Class, GLA and GLC) marks the dawn of an even more rigorous implementation of the design idiom of “sensual purity”. The “Aesthetics A” sculpture provides a first indication.
The designers at Mercedes-Benz are reconciling tradition and modernity in designing the cars for the future. Their work centres on ‘Sensual Purity’ as an expression of modern luxury. In applying this design philosophy, Mercedes-Benz sparked a transformation in design with the current A‑Class, launched in 2012. The new design idiom featuring edges and creases – indentations and recesses in the sheet metal – aimed to create clear forms and sensual surfaces which showcase high tech while also arousing emotions. This played a decisive role in making the brand younger and was key to the company’s excellent sales results. Every Mercedes-Benz model that followed since was born from this philosophy despite having an individual character.
