Mercedes-Benz’s new design philosophy will be shared by both EVs and internal-combustion engine models.
The aim is to normalize EVs in buyers’ minds and to get more people to adopt the vehicles.
Mercedes won’t reveal the actual design language until the IAA Mobility show next month, offering folks a sneak peek at the grille in the meantime.
Last month, Autoweek reported that Mercedes-Benz will nix the EQE and EQS in both sedan and SUV form here in the United States. However, that doesn’t mean the company will stop selling all battery-electric vehicles here, just don’t expect them to look anything like the jellybean EQ models we’ve seen in the past.
At a press event in Stuttgart, Germany, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius gave a hint to the company’s next-phase design philosophy. It’s still dubbed “Sensual Purity”—which has so many icky connotations I am loath to even type it out—but now it aims to bring the designs of BEV and ICE together in the hopes that more consumers will adopt EVs.
Källenius took the wrap off the next-generation Mercedes-Benz for a group of us to admire, kind of. We were only able to view the grille—the rest of the vehicle remained under the cover.
Still, it’s a handsome thing, with three bars of 942 illuminated dots that play a welcome animation surrounded by a chrome frame with an illuminated Mercedes-Benz star smack in the middle. A non-illuminated version can also be had with the lighted pixels replaced by a smokey lattice design.
A car’s grille has always been its calling card. I think my favorite is the Mercedes Simplex that graced cars from 1902-1909. Sure, it’s essentially a radiator, but the lines are just so clean. At any rate, Källenius calls this new design, “a distinct Mercedes look that you cannot confuse with anything else.” It will make its debut on the all-new electric GLC, the company’s most popular model, at IAA Mobility in Munich on September 7, 2025.
Källenius also said that Mercedes will have an EV in every relevant segment in its lineup. Although the EQ cars ultimately resulted in disappointing sales, the company doesn’t want to step out of the EV game for fear of missing out on the quickly moving technology. As such, it will launch the 2026 CLA as an EV, and we even got a quick ride in the new Mercedes-AMG C590 that made vroom vroom noises despite its all-electric powertrain.
However, the company isn’t planning on ignoring its ICE models. It is fully invested in the new MB.OS supercomputer powering every new Mercedes-Benz model regardless of powertrain. Look for plenty of AI-enabled screens with crisp graphics and elevated navigational features.
I’ve sampled the system in the CLA, which features three separate screens: a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster, a 14-inch infotainment screen, and a 14-inch passenger screen. The Virtual Assistant can interact using casual language and can do everything from explaining complex science topics to suggesting points of interest to making a restaurant reservation.
The passenger can stream movies, search the internet, even play Angry Birds while the driver is treated to enhanced navigation including a real-time view of other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists surrounding the car.
Only time will tell if this strategy will succeed. I can’t say I’m sad to see the EQ cars leave dealerships, but until the rest of the GLC is revealed in September, it’s tough to form an opinion on the design language based on a single viewing of a grille. However, I am pleased to learn that Mercedes will stuff as much tech in its ICE vehicles as its BEV options. After all, ICE drivers need AI too.
What do you think of this Mercedes-Benz sneak peek? Seem promising? Leave your comments below.
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