Inside the car of the future

A car that can drive itself, allows its four occupants to face each other in a lounge-style arrangement and screen out the real world will help define Mercedes-Benz’s definition of Future Luxury.

As reported previously, the as yet un-labelled concept car will be the star at January’s Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

CES plays an increasingly important place in the roll-out of new automotive technology. In recent years car manufacturers have been major participants and their executives have often delivered the key note addresses. January’s show will be no exception, with Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche taking centre stage.

Zetsche’s focus will be the further of individual mobility and the new concept car will formalise his company’s vision.

The new autonomous concept vehicle is a clean sheet design which eschews conventional automotive thinking. Described as "an egg within an egg" and maximising its autonomous abilities, the vehicles allows driver and front passenger to swivel their seats and face rearwards effectively creating a moving ‘lounge’.

The car incorporates full connectivity and uses NUIs (natural user interfaces) such as facial recognition, voice, gesture and gaze control to initiate a range of controls and onboard systems. Super-sized high definition screens allow the occupants to define the view from inside the car — delivering the option to screen the outside world.

motoring.com.au received a sneak peek of the the concept’s interior via virtual reality technology at Mercedes-Benz’s Sunnyvale (California) research and development complex this week.

The interior’s chief designer and head of Mercedes-Benz’s Lake Como (Italy) design centre Michele Jauch-Pagnetti says the concept illustrates Mercedes notion of "Life in Transit" via which vehicles become a "third space" on top of home and work.

It is in this space, says Jauch-Pagnetti, that the time normally used commuting can be reclaimed via autonomous operation.

Although Mercedes is testing autonomous S-Class vehicles on streets around its Silicon Valley research base, the company admits regulatory framework will keep real autonomous operation off roads for the foreseeable future.

What we will see more quickly however are some of the design and material themes that the concept will debut.

Jauch-Pagnetti says the concept will help define materials and surfacing used in the next generation of Mercedes-Benz cars.

"The future of luxury and the expectations [of buyers], they are changing. Silence, space and slowing down your life… Gaining time, will be a luxury in the future," the Swiss born designer told motoring.com.au.

Interiors and user interfaces will be simpler, he contends.

"There’s beauty in simplicity... And the reduction [of complexity] creates space," he said.

In the case of the CES concept Jauch-Pagnetti promises very high quality materials and graphical interfaces. And although modern, he says there will be a timeless quality to the interior.

"Timber, leather and metals — they’re all materials that have created our brand. So for sure we will still use them. But in new ways…"

One such opportunity is to bend and twist timber surfaces to create complex but light shapes, the design chief explained.

The new concept has been created in just 18 months, Jauch-Pagnetti revealed. But, says the designer, the interior he’s created will be fresh for many years to come.

"Timeless," is how he describes interior elements like the four individual seats.

"Very softly designed... In ten years no one will be disturbed by them," he stated.