October 27, 2015 - 11:30 pm ET
Driving through rush-hour traffic in a large city is commonly seen as one of the most frustrating experiences a driver can have.
If the latest Mercedes-Benz concept car is any indication, that might not be the case in the future.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Vision Tokyo concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. The car lays out a vision of luxury driving in the future, one in which self-driving technology has advanced to the point that the vehicle’s interior is allowed to resemble a lounge more than a car.
“The Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo embodies the concept of an automotive lounge for a future generation of megacities,” Gorden Wagener, Daimler’s head of design, said in a statement. “The purity and sensuality of the Vision Tokyo’s styling defines a new interpretation of modern luxury from Mercedes-Benz.”
The five-seat car will be on display during the Tokyo Motor Show beginning Friday through Nov. 7.
The Vision Tokyo’s interior, with its backlit, oval-shaped couch, wraparound LED screens and holographic entertainment system, takes its cues from clubs and lounges frequented by young people, allowing for face-to-face conversations even in the midst of dense traffic.
“Mercedes-Benz aims to show how the car of the future can be turned into a hip living space -- a chill-out zone in the midst of megacity traffic mayhem,” the automaker said in a news release.
Mercedes-Benz has built an ambitious autonomous vehicle r&d program in recent years, with a stated goal of getting a self-driving car on the road by 2020.
Its flagship S-class sedan offers semiautonomous technology that allows itself to drive on the highway, and Mercedes has tested self-driving cars on public roads in California and at its Silicon Valley r&d center.
The Vision Tokyo, however, provides a look at what the company thinks its autonomous car might look like in future generations.
Somewhat like the Luxury in Motion concept car it unveiled in Las Vegas in January, the Vision Tokyo is equipped with an electric hybrid system that pairs a battery with a fuel cell. The car has a range of about 609 miles, 118 of them coming from the battery and 491 coming from fuel-cell-powered driving.
The autonomous concept car is equipped with environmental sensors including a 360-degree camera on the roof that would allow it to operate driver-free. Should a driver be needed, a seat can be released from the couch to face traffic as the steering wheel moves into driving position.
The exterior features continuous glass paneling around the front, 26-inch wheels and side skirts illuminated in blue, and screen-printed passenger windows that match the body’s chrome paint scheme, allowing for privacy. Passengers enterthrough a large door that slides over the roof of the car.
Mercedes-Benz says “innovative algorithms” and a “Predictive Engine” will allow for the car to become “more and more familiar with its occupants, their likes and preferences” with each drive.
