Unveiled at the Auto China in Beijing on the 23rd April, the Concept Style Coupé (CSC) also made a brief appearance at the Avant/Garde Diaries event in Los Angeles on the 20th April. The sporty proportions on this four door coupe are breathtakingly stunning.
The Concept Style Coupe happens to be one of the definite examples of how far manufacturing processes have come, allowing the designers to go wild without limitations with their pens and pencils. The way the bonnet with the powerdomes is set right into the front end assembly is striking.
3 characteristic design lines seen in the profile
Three prominent lines define the profile of the Concept Style Coupe: the front structural edge over the wings flows towards the rear end in a characteristic dropping line. A more sinewy line across the shoulder muscle above the rear axle works with the third line that extends upward in a sweeping curve from the front wheel towards the rear. Together, these lines lend more depth and dynamism to the side profile. The ripple design of the prominent exterior mirrors will not make it to production, in all probability but definitely does a world of good for the CSC.
The sporty turbine design 20 inch wheels look fantastic. Perforated pins on the spokes fall in line with the design theme dictated by the diamond-theme of the radiator grille. The Concept Style Coupé features frameless side windows. A large panoramic roof creates a light and airy interior. A metal rib, the shape of which evokes a roll-over bar, separates the roof from the rear windscreen. The tail lights, with their metallic-red colouring, taper to a sharp point both to the front and toward the rear centre.
Diamond theme rear diffuser
An integrated dual-flow exhaust system underlines the car’s sporty credentials and gives added width to the tail end. A narrow rear diffuser picks up again on the dotted pattern of the diamond grille.
Head lamps in standy mode
In standby mode the innovative headlamps shine red. The indicators when activated have a party trick : the individual elements light up one after another in a “Mexican wave” effect.
Interior
A large carbon-fibre trim panel spans its full width.From the instrument cluster there are the two tubes, also in carbon fibre and individually glazed. When the indicator is activated, a ring lights up in the tubes.
The centre console flows beautifully through the length of the interior starting at the instrument panel. Embedded in this is an intricately designed fan module for the two rear seats, which also incorporates a stowage compartment. Mercedes-Benz says the world of fashion provided the inspiration for the colour mix of light grey and anthracite. A fresh, sporty touch is added by neon green piping and topstitching, which appear on the instrument panel, steering wheel and seat and door centre panels.
The instrument panel is upholstered in white nubuck leather, providing an interesting contrast with the anthracite-coloured Alcantara used on the upper section of the instrument panel. Suede is used on the sports steering wheel to ensure better grip.
All chrome trim elements and control panels now for the first time feature a black anodised finish and surfaces around the HMI control panel have the glossy shimmer of black anodised aluminium.
You might have seen the four integral seats with integrated head restraints in our design story on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class for 2012. An electroplated insert in the upper part of the seat adds to the impression of lightness and is illuminated. The design of the air vents in the instrument panel evokes an aircraft jet engine. As in the Concept A-CLASS they are backlit and change colour according to the temperature set by the occupants for the climate control system. When cool, fresh air is being brought into the car, they are blue, but they light up red when the airflow is warm. At a mid-range temperature setting the vents are illuminated in fluorescent yellow, and thus match the colour of the piping perfectly. Haha! We would love to see this in the flesh! We wouldn’t want to wait until Auto Expo 2014 though!
Multimedia System
As we’ve seen in a previous news article COMAND Online and the various Mercedes-Benz apps developed specifically to be used and controlled while on the move, as well as with the ability to browse the internet when the vehicle is stationary, the occupants of the Concept Style Coupé are “always on”.
Mercedes-Benz is firmly convinced that the future lies with cloud computing. The software for the COMAND Online applications is not stored in the vehicle, but runs off the Daimler Vehicle Backend. The advantage is that the system can be updated with new applications “over-the-air” (OTA) through a mobile phone connection, without the car having to be taken into the workshop. The software is thus always up to date, irrespective of the development cycles of either the vehicles or the consumer electronic devices.
Powertrain
211 hp 2.0 Litre Turbocharged engine with 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t indicated what engines will power the production version of the CSC, only that the Concept Style Coupé will be powered by the 2.0-litre version of the new petrol engine generation with 155 kW (211 hp), combined here with the efficient 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission.
Among the highlights of the four-cylinder engine are its direct-injection system with exhaust gas turbocharging, an enhanced combustion system and extended stratification ranges for lean-burn operation using fast-acting injectors for the multiple fuel injections, and multi-spark ignition according to need.
The dimensions of the Concept Style Coupe are : length/width/height: 4637/1891/1398 mm.
