Mercedes-Benz has picked up two awards at the German Design Award 2014. The prize winning designs belong to the new S-Class and the futuristic Ener-G-Force design study, that is based on an off-road legend, the G-class. The German Design Award 2014 was commissioned by the German Design Council, and 30 well-known design experts had to assess 1900 submissions, based on various design elements, to uncover unique design trends. The S-Class and the Ener-G-Force were deemed worthy of “special mention” for their successful design solutions.
The new S-Class offers a very contemporary interpretation of the concept of “Sensual Clarity”. Its design bridgestoday’s progressive design idiom and the classic elegance of Mercedes-Benz cars of the 1930s. Such attributes of the S-Class impressed the Automotive Brand Contest in 2013, winning the “Best of the Best” award for the interior and exterior design, and has done it again.
The Ener-G-Force concept vehicle, was inspired by the G-Class, and showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show, demonstrated how Mercedes-Benz could draw inspiration from an classic design to influence the future design from Mercedes-Benz. Employing alternative drive systems, the Ener-G-Force was also designed to be a very environmentally friendly vehicle and to demonstrate enhanced green-car characteristics, and these qualities were encapsulated in the design in a visually consistent manner.
The German Design Award was created by the German Design Council, a foundation established 60 years ago by the Federation of German Industry together with various leading German companies. At present some 200 design-oriented German companies, employing a workforce of more than 1.8 million employees, are members of the German Design Council.