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Mercedes-Benz will emphasise “respect” with a new design language for its future models, as it refreshes its line-up and moves to unite the styling of its electric and combustion cars.

The move is part of a drive to differentiate upcoming Mercedes models from their rivals – especially important as its core segments swell with new entrants from less established marques – and to strengthen their desirability as luxury products.

Design boss Gorden Wagener told Autocar at the Shanghai motor show that “the worst part of new design trends is having no identity” and Mercedes wants to avoid its cars falling into what he calls “the sea of sameness”.

That is particularly important in the premium segments, where cars must be more than just transportation devices, he said.

“I think when it comes to luxury, you start a love affair with the car. You attach emotion to it. You don’t just want to have an appliance that gets you from A to B.”

A Mercedes should not, he said, “be like a fridge - something you need”, because “luxury is something you want, not what you need", adding: "We don’t build appliances on wheels.”

Therefore, going forward, Mercedes will “put more emphasis” on respect in the design of its vehicles, “because that’s what people expect from us when they buy a Mercedes".

“You deserve some respect. You’ve made something out of yourself and you’ve been successful in life, so you deserve some respect for that.”

Some of the cues Mercedes will deploy to achieve this were previewed by the outlandish Vision V concept – which Wagener described as “damn sexy” and “very close to production” – at Shanghai. 

“When you look at the front, you see that this car offers a lot of status and respect," he said. "And this is one aspect of the brand: one is love, one is respect.”

Key to achieving this is the “iconic signature grille that nobody else has”, Wagener suggested, which allows Mercedes to “stick the cars out from the sea of sameness on one hand, and the other thing is that when you have this huge illuminated panel, you tailor to that analogue luxury appeal on the street”.

He added, though, that implying respect with a bold vehicle design doesn't necessarily mean installing bigger and bigger grilles but rather emphasising the shape and recognisability of the front end. 

“You see a lot of big grilles out there, and this alone is not necessary. Respect probably has to do with the sublime. When you look at buildings, churches, temples, they have to have a deeper meaning, and this Mercedes grille is probably the best known around the world, so it has a meaning that many people associate with a lot of things - and no other brand has that.”

Crucially, this new approach will apply to both ICE cars and EVs in the future, as Mercedes will no longer design cars differently according to which powertrain they use.

The EQE and E-Class, for example, will be brought closer in line, and the EQS is set to simply be replaced by an electric derivative of the next S-Class. 

The new CLA and upcoming GLC likewise will be all but identical whether specified with ICE or electric power. 

“We will definitely move away from that,” said Wagener about having two design languages at the same time. “There’s no point, just because it’s a different transmission.

“In the first generation, we did purpose design because it was special and people want to show they are driving electric cars, and to make them a bit different, more aerodynamic and futuristic-looking.”

But now, he said, "it doesn’t really matter. What matters is the brand: Mercedes. So we will put the emphasis on that, emphasis on the respect, and the identity of the front to make Mercedes stick out.

"For me as a designer, I don’t care if it’s electric or combustion; it’s a Mercedes.

“We opened the zipper to do purpose design for combustion and electric, and now the zipper will close again."

On this week's My Week In Cars podcast Matt Prior and Steve Cropley talk about the Morris Minor, Prior's Baja Bug, Cropley's visit to the British Motor Museum, Caterham's new engine from a manufacturer called Horse, and more besides, including your correspondence on Rivian and NCAP ratings.

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