Mercedes-Benz EQXX previewed ahead of Jan 3 debut

Mercedes-Benz has released another revealing teaser image of the advanced battery-electric Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX ahead of its official unveiling on January 3, 2022.

Heralded as the "most efficient vehicle the brand has ever built", the battery-powered luxury car is set to offer a real-world range of more than 1000km and an energy rating of less than 9kWh/100km thanks to its advanced aerodynamics, lightweight construction and pioneering engineering.

Beginning with its air-bending aids, making the EQXX as slippery as possible is the prototype's unusual hammerhead nose and absence of a grille, vents and other traditional openings, although there are a pair of ducts on the bonnet.

Featuring a coupe profile, a small frontal area, plus a smooth body and a shallow-raked windscreen, the EQXX's side profile shares more than a passing similarity to that of the 2015 Mercedes IAA Concept.

Boosting efficiency and reducing weight are the keys to its extra-long range, rather than packaging a huge battery within the prototype's svelte body.

Claimed to have been created by Benz engineers and designers in record time, the EQXX is said to boast a "cutting edge" drivetrain constructed from lightweight and sustainable materials.

Speaking of power, Benz is also thought to be developing new tech that can increase the energy density of a battery by more than 20 per cent, compared to the lithium-ion cells used in the Mercedes-Benz EQS.

Last year, the German car-maker revealed that the EQXX would be capable of travelling from Beijing to Shanghai on a single charge, suggesting the electric coupe could have a range of at least 1207km.

It's thought that instead of pushing the EQXX into production as is, its aerodynamics, ultra-high-density battery, efficient drivetrain and lightweight materials will all reappear in future Mercedes production models.