The classic sedan shape with an EV battery “looks s**t”, says Mercedes design boss

The traditional three-box sedan design – an icon of the Mercedes-Benz range for years – is quickly reaching the end due to the rapid shift to electrification, says the company’s chief design officer Gorden Wagener.

Speaking with Top Gear, the head designer said electrification will kill the sedan body style for a number of reasons.

“Aero is one. Secondly, with a six-inch battery pack a three-box sedan simply doesn’t look good, it looks shit. You have to do something that visually digests the height,” said Wagener in an interview with the publication.

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“That’s why we came up with that bold design with the EQ models, because it looks stretched, it looks stylish. So that [electrification] will change the proportions of cars.”

The evolving use of electric powertrains and advanced technology in vehicles will also have wider implications on vehicle design, he said, stating vehicle designers around the world might need to move away from more-aggressive car designs in favour of technological inspiration.

“Maybe as driving becomes more regulated, and when the car becomes the driver, it has to look more like a computer and less like an aggressive animal or so.”

However, Wagener believes it is important for vehicles to have a face – no matter how futuristic they look.

“What you see with electrification is that the grille is moving away. All these new startups, they don’t have a grille – they’re faceless front ends, a bit anonymous. They’re all very much alike. Do they look aggressive? No. They want to look more like a supercomputer on wheels.”

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The front designs of the Mercedes-Benz EQ range – recently bolstered by the swoopy EQE and AMG EQS 53 sedans at last week’s IAA 2021 – are dominated by large ‘faux’ grilles.

Likewise, the face of the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV concept – also unveiled at the same show – is claimed by Wagener to demonstrate “physiognomics, you know—facial expressions, or body sculpture in the car that makes it similar to humans. And that’s something that doesn’t change”.

Despite a move away from a design that has been such a staple of the Mercedes-Benz range, Wagener said he would not mourn the death of the three-box sedan, declaring the shape “is actually the most difficult car to design” in comparison to the likes of a sports car.

“I always like it when there’s something more futuristic coming. That’s why electrification is a great chance to change stuff, and change is always good.”