Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Guido ten Brink
The ESF is Mercedes-Benz for Experimental Safety Vehicle, and the 2019 concept is based on the all-new GLE. Equipped with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and semi-autonomous driving technology, there are a few areas where the ESF can’t make a case for the “safety” part.
First of all, take a look at the grille – or the lack of such an aesthetic element. Replaced by lots of LEDs which can be programmed to your heart’s content, the digitalized grille is interrupted bang in the center by the three-pointed star badge. There’s no such trickery at the rear of the vehicle, and even though it’s named Experimental Safety Vehicle, Mercedes-Benz went forward with decals that feel more at home at Gumball.
Moving on to the interior, you’re treated to acres of carbon fiber that doesn’t bring any additional usability or practicality to the concept. The rectangular steering wheel is on a different level of garish, a combination between what you’d find in a Formula 1 car and a Plymouth Fury from the ‘60s. It’s a mess that Mercedes-Benz can’t even explain in detail.
“I can already say this much: some of the functions are very close to series production," said Ola Källenius, member of the Daimler AG executive board responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. Given the lack of vision for the smart brand, Daimler might want to go back to the drawing board before coming out with any of those features.
Now that the rant is over, there are two things that should be considered going forward. The integral sidebag in the side bolsters of the seat backrests and the driver airbag in the dashboard are two of the highlights while belt buckle lighting sounds like just another bad idea. On that note, it’s worth remembering the all-new GLE is a rather neat redesign.
The fourth generation since the M-Class entered the scene, the V167 rides on an all-new platform which is capable of 48-volt electrification in the case of the GLE 450. The AMG 53 was introduced at Geneva earlier this year, and not long now, the AMG 63 will level up to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 we know and love from the G 63. The AMG 63 S version is expected to receive a 600-horsepower version of the eight-cylinder engine.
Moving on to the interior, you’re treated to acres of carbon fiber that doesn’t bring any additional usability or practicality to the concept. The rectangular steering wheel is on a different level of garish, a combination between what you’d find in a Formula 1 car and a Plymouth Fury from the ‘60s. It’s a mess that Mercedes-Benz can’t even explain in detail.
“I can already say this much: some of the functions are very close to series production," said Ola Källenius, member of the Daimler AG executive board responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Development. Given the lack of vision for the smart brand, Daimler might want to go back to the drawing board before coming out with any of those features.
Now that the rant is over, there are two things that should be considered going forward. The integral sidebag in the side bolsters of the seat backrests and the driver airbag in the dashboard are two of the highlights while belt buckle lighting sounds like just another bad idea. On that note, it’s worth remembering the all-new GLE is a rather neat redesign.
The fourth generation since the M-Class entered the scene, the V167 rides on an all-new platform which is capable of 48-volt electrification in the case of the GLE 450. The AMG 53 was introduced at Geneva earlier this year, and not long now, the AMG 63 will level up to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 we know and love from the G 63. The AMG 63 S version is expected to receive a 600-horsepower version of the eight-cylinder engine.
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