Mercedes G-Code Concept

[Rainer271]

Mercedes-Benz G-Code concept unveiled with hydrogen electric setup

Mercedes-Benz G-Code concept
Could preview sub-GLA crossover
Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off an interesting concept called G-Code, a very compact crossover destined for urban use.

It seems Mercedes-Benz is thinking about a smaller crossover to slot below the GLA as the G-Code concept seen here is 4100mm long which makes it 317mm shorter than the GLA. It's 96mm wider (at 1900mm) and 6mm taller (at 1500mm) and could preview a forthcoming production version to go up against the already confirmed Audi Q1.

The styling is a result of a collaboration between Mercedes-Benz's design studios in Germany and China who envisioned a high-riding compact hatchback with short overhangs, LED headlights & taillights and beefy 21-inch alloy wheels. It adopts a canopy-style glasshouse while instead of side mirrors it boasts two cameras installed on retractable arms on the upper side of the A pillars. Depending on the driving mode, the front grille is backlit in three distinct colors: red, blue or purple.

The body has received a "multi-voltaic" paint that works as a solar cell producing electric energy while under sunlight and it also regenerates electrostatic energy when wind is drawn over the body's surface. The petite crossover also features an interesting "power-on-the-move suspension" that uses the energy generated during the rebound movement of the dampers and springs to drive a generator to create electricity.

Open the coach-style doors and you notice a simple yet functional cabin with an uncluttered design with carbon fiber seats and a large digital display replacing most of the controls. Also inside are aluminum grab handles, round air vents while the AC system uses oxygen generated during hydrogen synthesis as a method to provide fresh air in the cabin even in congested urban environments. Located below the trunk are two electric scooters which are recharged while the vehicle is being driven.

Comprehensive details about the hardware setup are not available at this point but Mercedes-Benz said the G-Code concept is powered by a "state-of-the-art turbocharged combustion engine that runs on hydrogen" and an "electric motor that drives the rear axle" which means it has an all-wheel drive layout. Power is channeled to the axles with help from a dual-clutch transmission and an electric propshaft.

Scheduled to be introduced later this month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Mercedes-Benz G-Code will remain only a concept, just like the Ener-G-Force concept from two years ago.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

 

[SEIDELMAUS]

Mercedes Benz opens new design studio in Shanghai and shows design vision "Mercedes-Benz G-Code". The G-Code is 4,10m long, 1,50m high and 1,90m wide. Under the bonnet sits a hydrogen-engine, the rear axle is driven by an electric motor. But Mercedes clarifies they are actually not working on a hydrogen-engine. The grill is LED-illuminated and gives through different colours information about the chosen type of drive - blue when the car is standing, purple in hybrid-mode and red in hybrid-sport-mode.

source: http://business-panorama.de/news.php?newsid=249066

 

[martinbo]

Mercedes Benz - you must be Juking!

 

[Betty Swollocks]

We're all going to be wearing white driving gloves in the future it seems.

 

[Monster]

We're all going to be wearing white driving gloves in the future it seems.

And we will all have dis proportionally large hands.

 

[Wunderkind]

Looks like those final SAABs. It's interesting, but probably too far from what we have in mind of a Mini-G.

 

[Wolfgang]

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/...uv-coupe-fuer-den-glk-nachfolger-8848633.html

 

[Giannis]

Is this some sort of the next G-Class preview or is it more focused on the hybrid drivetrain. In any case, I have a small fear about the future.

 

[SCOTT27]

Sport cross , G-Code.............Inevitable.

 

[martinbo]

Sport cross , G-Code.............Inevitable.

Balderdashing poppycock.

 

[Monster]

Sport cross , G-Code.............Inevitable.

What exactly is Sport cross?

 

[PHYBENZ]

interior screams Audi.

 

[Wolfgang]

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[Merc1]

I like it, but smaller than the GLA? I don't see the point. Make this a Smart.

M

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

The only fascinating detail is the engine, everything else is m'eh.

 

[tennmb]

Looks horrible. But other than that, it's great.

 

[Rolf]

Back lights remind me of the robots eyes from Battlestar Galactica!

 

[HighestOfHigh]

I absolutely hate the front. It has that duck face look going on. The side and rear on the other hand look rather exciting.

 

[Sunny]

What exactly is Sport cross?

2 English words that polled well with a focus group, so must find use.

 

[Wolfgang]

Grand Opening Mercedes-Benz Research & Development China: Mercedes-Benz shows dedication to Chinese customers with new R&D Center in Beijing

• Total investment of about 865 million RMB [112 million EUR] in Mercedes-Benz’ passenger car R&D facilities in Beijing.
• Competence Center with clear focus on Chinese market needs
• Hubertus Troska: “Our new R&D center will help us to fully tap our potential here and give our Chinese customer’s voice even more weight in our global network and future product development.”
• Thomas Weber: “With our new R&D Center in China, we are progressing our strategy of the internationalization of our R&D, showing our full commitment and dedication to China.”

Daimler Greater China today opened its new Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in China and extended its local RD network in Beijing. In future around 500 highly qualified engineeres and designers will be working at the new Mercedes-Benz’s R&D facility. In total, about 865 million RMB [112 million EUR] has being invested into Beijing-based research and development facilities for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars most recently, thereof about 105 million RMB [13.5 million EUR] into this new site alone.

“For the automotive industry, China has become the most important market worldwide. The country is truly in fast forward mode – we recognize this importance and reflect it in our local R&D activities, which we are clearly pushing forward to the next level,” says Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for China. “As a key element for our sustainable growth strategy in China, our new R&D Center will help us to fully tap our potential here and give our Chinese customers’ voice even more weight in our global network and future product development.”

“With our new R&D Center in China, we are progressing our strategy of the internationalization of our R&D, showing our full commitment and dedication to China, a key market for us,” says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. “Establishing a close-knit and complementary network of R&D Centers across the globe will enable us to incorporate local taste, needs and trends into our products much faster, supporting our vision to become the world’s largest premium car manufacturer by the end of the decade.”

Continuous expansion of Chinese R&D activities

With the new location, Daimler is taking its Research and Development activities in China to a new level. The company first put China on the map of its worldwide Research & Development network in 2006, with the localization of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Since then, the scope of work and headcount of its local R&D teams has been continuously expanded. In 2009, Mercedes-Benz was the first German premium car manufacturer to open an Advanced Design Studio in Beijing. To even better cater to the needs of Chinese customers, units for ’Localization & Development, ‘Telematics & Infotainment’ and, most recently, ‘Trends & Innovation’ were subsequently established.

Today, international teams of more than 350 experts work for Mercedes-Benz R&D China, covering six different departments. Currently, around 80 percent of the workforce is Chinese; the remaining team includes specialists from about a dozen different countries. By the end of 2015, the automaker plans to increase the headcount to up to 500. Mercedes-Benz R&D China benefits from a close link to Daimler’s strong local production and supplier base as well as its Sino-German joint venture partner R&D sites for vans and the electric vehicles.

Focus on the needs of the Chinese market

Apart from Advanced Design, there are five departments working for Mercedes-Benz Research & Development China in Beijing. The teams for Localization & Developmentand Powertrain & Testing adapt vehicles and engines to Chinese needs, take care of testing, and establish cooperation with local suppliers.

A unit for Safety, Comfort, Regulatory Affairs and IP makes sure the vehicles comply with all Chinese rules, regulations and standards. In addition, it does own research on topics like in-car air quality or allergy prevention and builds up ties with universities and other research organizations. One example is the collaboration with Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading universities, on the development of sustainable transport solutions, including autonomous driving. With these collaborations, Mercedes-Benz engineering teams get also access to a vast Chinese talent pool.

The Telematics and Infotainment team focuses on developing telematics and infotainment systems with Chinese requirements, and ensure quality for the systems in the lab and on the road. One task of the unit is to ensure customers can enter handwritten Chinese characters into the multimedia system of their Mercedes-Benz vehicles; another one is to integrate China-specific Apps and internet services into the cars. Mercedes-Benz is the 1stautomotive OEM that has teamed up with Baidu, the Chinese Google equivalent, to bring “Streetview” features into its Chinese vehicles.

The Trends, Research and Innovation department analyzes developments in Chinese society and their effects on future mobility needs. The mission is clear: On one hand, go deep into the daily lives of Chinese customers and translate their daily habits into clever product solutions and on the other, monitor trends early and react on these with the right future product concepts. The team gets its inspiration by various research and analysis methodologies - and sometimes by simply looking at Chinese customer’s cars.

State-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio

The all-new Advanced Design Studio is a centerpiece of the R&D facility and represents the company’s new design hub in Asia. It is dedicated to offering Chinese customers an even more enjoyable Mercedes-Benz experience by putting new functions like ‘Colour & Trim’ and ‘User Interface Experience’ design on the company’s local design map. Fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology, it covers the widest fields of activities amongst Mercedes-Benz’s passenger car design studios outside of Germany: All necessary steps of car design can be done here – from first sketches to 1:1 clay models.

As a seismograph for design, cultural and mobility trends and as an integral part of Daimler’s global design network, the studio will generate creative inspirations from China, and incorporate these into Mercedes-Benz’ global design philosophy. A first glimpse of this interaction was given at the official opening when Gorden Wagener, Head of Design Daimler AG, presented the Mercedes-Benz G-Code, a sporty crossover show car, inspired by the lifestyles and digital cultures of contemporary Chinese society.

Global research and development network

Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development employs a workforce of 14,600 at 21 facilities in 10 countries worldwide, with a total R&D investment of 11 billion Euros in 2012/2013. The company’s global R&D headquarters is located at Sindelfingen and Untertürheim near Stuttgart.

Besides the new facility in Beijing, Daimler’s global R&D network includes two more international Competence Centers: Specialists at Sunnyvale in the USA focus on innovations for the so-called “digital drivestyle” and Bangalore in India is home to the Competence Center for digital product development and IT.

Source: Daimler