Skip Navigation

CLS Coupe Sketch

Design that moves you.

You know it when you see it. The elegant curves, the precise attention to detail. It captures the eye and calls for your touch. The beauty of Mercedes-Benz is in the design.

Design Process

It starts with a sketch.

Lots of sketches to be precise. A team led by Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener develops the initial look of the vehicle based on its desired functionality, exploring the shape and style before deciding on the best of the best.

A clay mold of a vehicle is being shaped.

It’s molded in clay.

While 3-D computing has its advantages, clay models allow the design team to see the form of the vehicle at scale and adjust on the fly. Every detail is sculpted from the windows to the door handles to the creases in the hood. This allows designers to see every detail in a variety of lighting.
Three men converse over models of the vehicle controls.

It’s developed by specialists.

Once the shape of the vehicle is complete, experts in different categories are brought in – exterior, interior, technology and more. These team members have mastered their field and they lend that knowledge to the process, resulting in the most perfect version of the vehicle.

“For me, good design must be attractive and intelligent.”

-Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer

Exterior

How dreams take shape.

No one ever said we didn’t have style. Every Mercedes-Benz exterior is fashioned with Sensual Purity as the core philosophy. Clean lines and sculpted planes allow for a sporty, yet elegant look, but they also provide ideal aerodynamics, allowing the style to enhance the performance.

Interior

Interiors that inspire.

The interior of our vehicles is where emotion meets intelligence, and where Modern Luxury comes to life.

The interior of a Mercedes-Benz with black leather and blue ambient lighting.
The lush interior of a Mercedes-Benz with beige designo upholstery.
A view through the sunroof of a Mercedes-Benz, decked out in purple ambient light.
A birds-eye view of a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet with the top down.
The interior of a Mercedes-Benz with black leather and blue ambient lighting.

Colours and Materials

The colour palette of every interior is carefully selected. It’s complemented by textures, gloss levels, grain and other details, selected for their high level of quality.

The lush interior of a Mercedes-Benz with beige designo upholstery.

Ergonomics

An automobile should fit its occupants, not the other way around. Everything from seat position to door handle height to the dashboard layout is designed with people in mind.

A view through the sunroof of a Mercedes-Benz, decked out in purple ambient light.

Controls and Displays

A balance of analog and digital, the controls and displays of each vehicle are designed for look, feel, and usability – including the digital interface and graphics.

A birds-eye view of a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet with the top down.

Atmosphere

Collectively, all interior elements create a driving environment that makes occupants feel both at ease and in control, with care and craftsmanship in every corner.

An open driver-side door of a Mercedes-Benz cabriolet.

What is Modern Luxury?

The guiding light for Mercedes-Benz design, Modern Luxury represents the most coveted aspect of our products. It is timeless and authentic, pared down to the essentials, both high tech and inviting.

Explore Modern Luxury >
A group of designers surrounding a life-size clay model.

Advanced Design Studio: Visionaries of the future.

While our vehicles have always been designed with an eye for tomorrow, special teams are tasked with thinking even further ahead. The Advanced Design Studios – in Sindelfingen, Germany; Beijing, China; and Sunnyvale, California – incorporate ideas from across cultures and continents to envision the future of Mercedes-Benz, and the future of mobility itself.

Concept Vehicles

Pushing the industry forward, concept vehicles develop styles and technology beyond what the public is ready to consume, and they ensure that our passion for invention never wavers.

A red Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6.
A blue Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet with the top down near the ocean.
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
A red Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6.

Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6

A blue Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet with the top down near the ocean.

Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS

Going beyond the automobile.

The Mercedes-Benz design approach has never been limited to motor vehicles. It can be found in other hallmarks of the luxury lifestyle, from aviation to eyewear to living spaces and more. Here are just a few inspiring examples:

A shiny metal sculpture of a vehicle under a sheet.
The Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar in front of a Mercedes-AMG speedboat.

The 515 Project ONE

This Mercedes-AMG and Cigarette Racing collaboration was designed from the ground up and inspired by the Project ONE supercar.

A close-up of the frame of a Mercedes-Benz bicycle.

The Mercedes-Benz Bicycle

Less is more with this top-end bicycle that features a silver frame, silver-to-black gradients, and hydraulic brakes.

A close-up of the tip of a Mercedes-Benz surfboard.

The MBoard Project

Designed for big wave surfer Garrett McNamara, these tailor-made surfboards use carbon-fiber and Kevlar and were debuted in Nazaré, Portugal.