The "Aesthetics A" sculpture created by designers at Mercedes, offers an indication of the design of the next generation A-Class.
The upcoming compact class generation is said to mark the dawn of an even more rigorous implementation of Mercedes’ design idiom of "sensual purity” – which, on the current A-Class, manifested itself with edges and creases – indentations and recesses in the sheet metal.
Every Mercedes model that followed since was born from this same philosophy, but with the "Aesthetics A" sculpture, the design team is now presenting its vision of a saloon car in the compact car segment which is stripped down to its essential body.
"Form and body are what remain when creases and lines are reduced to the extreme. We have the courage to implement this purism", says Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG, Gorden Wagener. "In combination with perfect proportions and sensual surface design, the upcoming generation of the compact class has the potential to herald a new design era. Design is also the art of omission: the days of creases are over".
Rather than modifying the basic shape with lines and creases, the Mercedes-Benz designers will employ sweeping surfaces at angles to each other to contour the body design with light and shadow and to emphasise the proportions. This makes the essence of a body visible, says Mercedes, and communicates it in a credible way.
Finished in a vibrant red paint, a new signature Mercedes-Benz colour, "Aesthetics A" has a three-box design and because outside of Europe classic saloons are still very much in demand in the segment.
The "Aesthetics A" sculpture is a continuation of a series of sculptures from Mercedes-Benz which to date comprises the works "Aesthetics No. 1" (2010), "Aesthetics No. 2", "Aesthetics 125" (both 2011) and "Aesthetics S" (2012).
The importance which Daimler AG attaches to design was highlighted when the post of Chief Design Officer was established on 1 November 2016. Dr Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars said: "Good design is about much more than simply creating beautiful products: It combines functionality with fascination and gives brand values a distinctive form. We are delighted that our design team under the leadership of Gorden Wagener is among the best in the industry, because the excellent global sales of our vehicles is ultimately also due to their outstanding design".