Mercedes Vision V is an ultra-luxury van for the well heeled
An electrically powered concept version called the Vision V has started a global tour after its world premiere at last month's Auto Shanghai show in China, with its first stopover in Dubai this week.
Regular versions of the next V-Class will carry a VLE badge and carry up to eight people, acting as leisure vehicles for families or exclusive VIP shuttles. But the four-seater VLS will take it to the next level with top-shelf exclusivity and an unprecedented immersive, digital experience for one percenters.
The Vision V concept car has a luxurious 'private lounge' rear cabin decked out like the first class section of an aircraft. The two-seater rear lounge has a huge 65' cinema screen that can be extended and retracted from the floor, operated via a touchpad in the centre console.
The ultra-sized cinema screen with 4K resolution combines with a 42-speaker surround-sound system with Dolby Atmos along with seven projectors in the headliner and floor to transform the interior into a unique immersive space. Passengers can choose seven different worlds of experience: Entertainment; Relax; Gaming; Work; Shopping; Discovery; and Karaoke.
An intelligent, switchable glass wall separates the private lounge from the driver's area. The glass can be changed from transparent to opaque, either completely or in sections.
'The Vision V is a luxurious and elegant chauffeur-driven limousine that allows one to pamper themselves in a whole new world of comfort,' says a Mercedes Vans spokesperson. 'Analogue craftsmanship merges with an immersive user experience to create a holistic experience with a cocooning effect.'
Aided by illuminated and retractable running boards, passengers enter the luxurious rear sanctum through a large side door that automatically slides open.
The rear seating area is exceptionally spacious, with décor that blends elegance with technology. Traditionally crafted materials blend with hyper-modern, tech-savvy design elements.
Crystal white Nappa leather and shimmering white silk contrast with large decorative elements made of open-pore burr wood. Display cabinets are set into the dark wood trim along the side walls and ambient lighting creates an individualised and cosy living-room atmosphere.
The centre console between the two individual seats is a display cabinet. It has a touchpad for operating the infotainment system as well as a fold-out table imprinted with a high-quality chessboard.
The futuristically designed seats can recline into beds, and a fragrance dispenser is housed in an elegant, polished aluminium bottle behind the centre console.
The Vision V's design features an illuminated Mercedes star on the bonnet and chrome radiator grille with illuminated glass louvres. The headlights have the three-pointed Mercedes star. When the passengers approach the Vision V, they are greeted by a dynamic and artistic light show in all the louvres.
The 24' wheels feature illuminated louvres and the large rear window is framed by a light band that serves as a tail light and brake light. It is not known which of these dazzling exterior features will make it into the production model.
Mercedes hasn't provided details on powertrains and specifications, but petrol and electric options are expected to be carried over to the next generation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
9 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
On landfills, butternut and buffets — Zero Waste Summit
The Western Cape provincial government target stipulates that 50% of organic waste should be diverted from landfills by 2022, and 100% by 2027. 'Food is as complicated as life,' said Kurt Ackermann, CEO of the SA Urban Food & Farming Trust, as he opened the Zero Waste Summit at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 10 July, an event created by the Food Indaba. Petro Myburgh, sustainability manager at the V&A Waterfront, Melania Ludwig, owner of Zero to Landfill Organics, along with Roberto de Carvalho, executive chef at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), and Alison Evans, head of Waste Markets at the City of Cape Town, were panellists at the summit, hosted by Maverick Citizen managing editor Zukiswa Pikoli. Prefacing the day's discussion, Pikoli spoke about the food justice landscape that included the eradication of food waste as a focus area, particularly in light of South Africa's hunger problem. 'Food justice emanates from the public health crisis – issues of hunger and noncommunicable diseases in South Africa,' said Pikoli. She cited the Union Against Hunger's reflections on food waste, where France's 'Garot Law' requires large supermarkets to donate rather than discard, and that South Africa could look at making similar agreements with food rescuers so the cost of transporting food would not be a barrier, and tax incentives would be provided. Landfills A total of 67% of all waste is diverted from landfills, with 200 tonnes of organic waste diverted at the V&A, Myburgh explained. 'Most waste always used to be landfilled, in a 100 to 200 years they will look at landfills and ask: why were they throwing resources into a hole?' said Evans. Organic waste creates methane, which is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, she explained. Organic waste is filling up landfills and we are running out of space – it takes 20 years to develop a new landfill. Evans mentioned a provincial target stipulating that 50% of organic waste should be diverted from landfills by 2022, and 100% by 2027 – a 'scary target'. 'In the city this has translated to a restriction at one of the two landfill sites. We have to take this seriously; what is the City's role in this move from putting waste in the landfills to getting it into the economy? Either feeding people, creating animal feed or composting – all the things you can do with organic waste are positive and good for the ecosystem – and can also turn it into energy through anaerobic digestion.' Evans said diverting organic waste by 100% by 2027 is an unrealistic target, bearing in mind that 'we need to move towards that target, and the City is no exception'. Since 2016 Evans's department has distributed 50,000 home composting containers to residents, which 'brings down the barrier of entry; no one is going to start a compost heap from scrap'. They have also trialled separation at the source of organic waste. Informal traders have very few ways to preserve fruit and vegetables, so from small trials they have seen that traders are very willing to separate waste and let it be picked up by the City. In trials, Evans explained, people in low-income households have come on board with separating waste because they don't want rubbish attracting rats and pests. The City of Cape Town's other role is regulator; it does not collect all waste, since the private sector does manage some of it. Policy and by-laws require large commercial waste generators to submit integrated waste management plans and be accredited, and companies doing composting have to do the same. Butternut – just use a peeler Ludwig's company helps the hospitality industry separate food waste, which she said only takes a few days to get going. 'A small restaurant produces a tonne of food waste a month, a large hotel up to 20 tonnes. An ice cream factory produces a tonne a month. It can be up to 50% of your waste.' The UK-developed Guardians of Grub is a tool that helps hospitality companies save money through tracking waste. Ludwig's company will provide feedback on what is discarded, to improve their edible food redistribution and 'save the planet at the same time'. Love Food Hate Waste is a tool for individuals to minimise food waste, which Ludwig recommended. Common reusable items include the end slices of bread loaves and potato peels. Peeling a butternut with a knife rather than a peeler wastes 20% of edible butternut, she explained. 'There's always food that is not edible – eggshells, teabags, bones, banana peels – but let's keep edible food in the chain.' Staff meals and smaller plates Pikoli asked De Carvalho what the strategies are for waste when hosting large events at the CTICC. 'The best way is not to create waste in the first place… If you plan accordingly there's a lot of food you can save,' he said. The CTICC gives all the staff a meal (9,000 meals per month) and 70% of food is then recovered from functions. If there is an event requiring 10 buffets, they have to keep all 10 looking stocked. So, they decided to keep more in fridges and only put it out when necessary. De Carvalho has also found that if they make the serving plates smaller, people eat less. Another strategy to reduce waste is to create set menus for people of exact portions. This financial year they have separated 10 tonnes of organic waste at source. They also found that through feeding staff they diverted 3.5 tonnes of food from a landfill. 'Charity starts at home. Also, the staff come from vulnerable communities and now they have something in their stomachs when serving these people,' De Carvalho said. The CTICC gives away used cooking oil for biodiesel. The fat trap (where oils, grease and fat are prevented from going into the wastewater system) collects fat for compost. They are in the planning stages of creating a garden for the kitchen. AI on the recycling belt Myburgh said her first goal at the V&A was diverting 30% of waste. It was a challenge, and separation at source was the most important intervention. They have intensified organic waste and recycling through issuing a cheap ice cream bucket for the restaurants to dispose of food waste, along with continual training and education, as well as kitchen audits. They operate an on-site waste recovery centre, and Myburgh says that seeing 130 people working on it is 'poetry in motion'. There's a clean and a dirty belt of waste, ensuring 120 to 160 tonnes is available for recycling and 200 tonnes of organic waste avoid landfills. AI is now being used on the belt to recognise contaminated waste, to salvage more. The last statistics Myburgh found that 88% of landfilled waste is still organic and 26% labelled as organic is not. That is why it is crucial to get separation at source right. Cheaper to chuck away? It costs R900 to dump a tonne of waste into a landfill in Cape Town, and R200 elsewhere in South Africa, Ludwig said. She's found the reluctance to start composting is down to economics and effort – it requires a bit of effort to have a number of bins to sort your waste. She explained that 4,000 tonnes dumped daily in landfills in Cape Town is organic. Her facility works with 250 tonnes a month. She wants to get to a point where 4,000 tonnes are made into compost, and we stop using fossil fuels as fertilisers. 'It's been so easy to throw it in the bin. We're not asking you to recycle, just separate. Don't put straws, sugar packets, etc in organic waste – these small items are what's contaminating the waste. The glass stopper on bottles goes into compost, then we can't use it,' said Ludwig. 'And wrappers on sweets – nobody died from eating a mint that wasn't wrapped in plastic.' DM
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
'These days it's hard to have a beautiful marriage': Junior De Rocka ties the knot
Congratulations are in order for Junior De Rocka after he revealed he paid lobola for his partner Kholiswa. The DJ took to his timeline recently to share footage from the traditional ceremony, in which his uncles travelled to his partner's house in a fleet of luxurious cars including Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz G-Class cars when asking her family for her hand in marriage. The bride, who donned orange and a white shawl embroided "Becoming Mrs Mzizi," said: "He kept his promise. I've never experienced such love," in the video shared on his timeline. Recounting the experince, Junior said it was a special day he would cherish for the rest of his life. "I know these days it's hard to have a beautiful marriage because of how life is set up, kodwa if we both focus on us, mute the noise, put God first and sihloniphe abadala okuyibo abas'gadile kulendlela — I trust and know that we will survive any type of storm, together. "Thank you to umndeni wakwa Dladla for ukusamukela ngothando nomoya wokwakha. My family gained an amazing daughter and always know that your family also gained a son, and the way I'll treat your daughter will reflect on how much I respect and honour your family name. Kwande!"
The South African
14 hours ago
- The South African
Warren Hammond's Personal View: Fragile highs
On 17 March 2025, The Personal View published: 'Positioning for the Market Turmoil Ahead, 2025-2028.' That article opened with this warning: 'The March-June 2025 period will bring extreme market volatility, driven by geopolitical conflicts, economic instability, and shifting power dynamics. Immediate shocks are severe, while long-term consequences shape financial markets, trade flows, and capital allocation into 2028.' That foresight was swiftly validated. By April, global markets were reeling: the VIX surged, geopolitics flared, and equities sold off aggressively as investor confidence faltered. A rearmament cycle is driving global defence spending higher Middle East instability, energy insecurity, and oil supply disruption; warning of Iran-Israel and Ukraine-Russia conflict The rise of cyberattacks and surveillance infrastructure as dominant investment themes A reiteration to accumulate gold, first recommended on 8 March 2021 Now, markets are near record highs, but complacency is visible, momentum is fading, and liquidity is thinning. July is fragile. The next wave of volatility is nearing. Headline-driven shocks from geopolitical, regulatory, or domestic unrest Potential for flash crashes or algorithmic dislocations Cyberattacks or infrastructure disruptions that unsettle sentiment A breakdown in leadership or sentiment sparking fear-based trading Overstretched valuations lacking support It's time to rebuild protection, reduce fragility, and prepare for downside risk. Downside Protection: Portfolio Insurance on the S&P 500 For global investors with equity exposure, especially those fully allocated, now is the time to consider derivative trades to hedge a sharp S&P 500 drawdown. Put Spread Collar Buy a near-the-money put, sell a deeper one, and finance with an OTM call. A low-cost way to insure downside while capping upside. Zero-Cost Put Spread Buy a 3-5% OTM put and sell a 7-10% OTM put for limited-cost protection against moderate declines. VIX Call Options Purchasing near-term VIX calls (2-4 weeks out) helps hedge tail risk, as volatility typically spikes during equity stress. SPX Ratio Put Spread Buy one ATM put and sell two or more deeper OTM puts. Lower cost, but introduces risk below a second threshold, is useful in deep sell-offs. These can be tailored to other global indices (Euro Stoxx 50, FTSE 100, Nikkei, JSE Top 40, etc.) correlated with U.S. equity direction. Conclusion: The market may look strong on the surface, but it's skating on thin ice. July is tactically vulnerable. Volatility returns when least expected. Now is the time to position defensively, protect gains, and prepare for a sharp risk repricing. Have you started adjusting your investment strategy in anticipation of renewed volatility? Share your thoughts, questions, or alternative strategies in the comments below. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
