The Tokyo Auto Show 
is about to kick off, and manufacturers aren’t wasting time previewing their latest futuristic design concepts. Mercedes-Benz is bringing something truly unique to the table this year with its Vision Tokyo Concept. Like other concepts such as the Nissan IDS Concept 
and Nissan Leaf Autonomous Concept, 
the Mercedes Vision Tokyo Concept is moved by electric motors and is capable of fully autonomous driving.
is about to kick off, and manufacturers aren’t wasting time previewing their latest futuristic design concepts. Mercedes-Benz is bringing something truly unique to the table this year with its Vision Tokyo Concept. Like other concepts such as the Nissan IDS Concept and Nissan Leaf Autonomous Concept, the Mercedes Vision Tokyo Concept is moved by electric motors and is capable of fully autonomous driving.According to Gorden Wagener, the Head of Design at Daimler AG, “The purity and sensuality of the Vision Tokyo’s styling defines a new interpretation of modern luxury from Mercedes-Benz.” Its design is slated to increase the appeal of the Mercedes brand the younger generations, and give a view into where Mercedes plans to go in the future with self-driving cars. Aside from its unique design and excessive lighting, the Vision Tokyo is also equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence system that is capable of learning and evolving as it learns about passenger preferences, where they go and what they like.
Tokyo is also equipped with an advanced artificial intelligence system that is capable of learning and evolving as it learns about passenger preferences, where they go and what they like.The Vision Tokyo is set to make its first public appearance on October 30th at none other than the Tokyo Motor Show. Until then, let’s take a look at what we already know about it and see just what we can expect when it debuts.
Exterior
The Vision Tokyo is about the same size as most other mid-sized sedans on the road. It measures 189.09-inches long (4803 mm), 82.67-inches wide (2100 mm), and 62.99-inches tall (1600 mm). In place of a traditional windshield, glass wraps around the front and extends down the sides of the vehicle. As we saw on the AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the headlights are angled and set far to the sides. The front grille is backlit by LEDs and can perform various lighting functions like visualizing a sound pattern based on music playing inside the cabin.
Gran Turismo, the headlights are angled and set far to the sides. The front grille is backlit by LEDs and can perform various lighting functions like visualizing a sound pattern based on music playing inside the cabin.The side skirts on each side offer blue ambient lighting that symbolizes the car’s electric drive system.
The concept only has one door that is located on the left side of the vehicle (to accommodate right-hand drive traffic in Japan. According to the press release the side door swings open for passenger entry, but early renderings show the door sliding upward and over the roof for entry. The side skirts on each side offer blue ambient lighting that symbolizes the car’s electric drive system. The side glass panels are screen-printed with the same monochrome Alubeam color as the body paint to provide privacy for the occupants on the inside.
To the rear, the back window is surrounded by red, cube-shaped LEDs that give the perception of a deeply mounted window. To the bottom of the rear fascia is a black trim insert that is surrounded by blue LED lighting with an illuminated QR code in the middle that symbolizes a license plate. There are no taillights on the rear, so it’s safe to assume the red lighting around the back window would also double as brake lights. A single fin that contains a 360-degree camera – used for autonomous driving – is mounted on the roof toward the rear. The concept rides on massive 26-inch, five-spoke wheels that also have blue ambient lighting.
Interior
The interior has to be about the most interesting interior I have ever seen. There isn’t any traditional front or rear seating. Instead, there is a wraparound bench, or couch that can accommodate up to five passengers. The seating design allows passengers to sit and converse or “hang out” while the AI system manages the driving for them.
The single door panel has a large, wraparound LED screen that displays travel information and GPS information
The single door panel has a large, wraparound LED screen that displays travel information and GPS information, and the seating is backlit to help set the mood of this mobile lounge. In the center of the cabin are two holographic projectors (one on the floor and one on the roof) that display different apps, maps, or other 3D content that can be controlled, viewed, or manipulated by any of the passengers. Should the need (or want) to drive manually arise, a jump seat can swing out from the couch that allows someone to face forward and take the wheel. When the jump seat is activated, a steering wheel also moves out of its standby position. No speakers are present in any of the images released by Mercedes, but it’s safe to assume this rolling hangout would have a decent sound system.
Drivetrain
Mercedes hasn’t released official specifics on the drivetrain, but we do know the vehicle has a fuel-cell-powered electric drive system that is based on the F-Cell Plug-in Hybrid of the F 015 Luxury in Motion. This system combines on-board generation of electricity and a high-voltage battery that can be charged wirelessly. In total, the Vision Tokyo has a range of 980 km (609 miles) of which 190 km (118 miles) comes from the on-board battery.
Given the range and the fact that the vehicle was designed to ease the pain of traveling through Tokyo’s crowded roads, I don’t see major horsepower or top speed figures in the works for this concept. A couple 200 horsepower motors should be more than sufficient and I would expect to see a top speed in the area of 120 mph max.
Conclusion
In the end, the Vision Tokyo is an interesting concept, but I think it is a little too much as far as how much we can trust self-driving cars. Thirty years down the road? Sure. Maybe a lounge-type setting will be appropriate. But, when you take into consideration the limitations of artificial intelligence at this time, I don’t see us going this relaxed in a self-driving car anytime soon. I do like Mercedes vision for the future, and there is no doubt in my mind that eventually our roads will be full of self-driving cars zipping around at 200 mph flawlessly, but we have a lot of advances in technology before that happens.
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