Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO - Auto Shows

The times are changing: For years, Mercedes-Benz has tried to become more "approachable" in the U.S. market, but its cars are still relatively upscale and powerful. With the unveiling of the Concept BlueZERO at the 2009 Detroit auto show , the U.S. gets a glimpse of the same small-car thinking that Europe has been exposed to since 1997. It was then that the A-class made its debut at the Geneva auto show. The car is now in its second generation and has been joined by a sister model, the slightly bigger and more conventionally styled B-class.

The Concept BlueZERO has two purposes First, it showcases alternative technology currently under development at Daimler. Second, it gives a glimpse of the upcoming B-class, styled under the tutelage of chief designer Gorden Wagener.

Before we dive into the technological details, we decided to ask an expert about the concept's aesthetic merits. Gernot Bracht, who teaches transportation design in Pforzheim, Germany, likes the "negative" front grille treatment, which reverts to the classic SL grille design that Mercedes abandoned in 1989 with the R129 model. "The side-window graphics mimic the current B-class," adds Bracht, but he also finds evidence of foreign influence in the front headlights, which remind him of recent Mazda prototypes.

"Stuttgart-Sindelfingen meets Tokyo" is Bracht's assessment of the rear end, with its busy roof spoiler and huge composite tailgate that encompasses the taillights. The flanks, with their striking creases, are "perhaps too close to BMW," says the designer. Elements that aren’t likely to survive the trip from concept to production are the rear fender skirts?a styling element last seen on the original Honda Insight.

The interior takes little getting used to. Apart from the typically creative materials for the seats and dashboard, which will be abandoned for series production, the key elements of the concept's interior are surprisingly conservative. The instrument cluster, the COMAND infotainment system, and the HVAC controls seem as if they were taken straight out of a parts bin at the Rastatt, Germany, production line. Even the gear selector is where it belongs?right on the center console.

Perhaps Mercedes doesn't want to overwhelm customers on too many fronts, because under the hood and floor of this concept, which comes in three versions?E-Cell, E-Cell Plus, and F-Cell?lie advanced technologies that some believe could define the future of motoring:

The BlueZERO E-Cell is powered only by an electric motor making up to 134 hp for a short time period, 94 hp for an extended time?until the battery runs out, which Mercedes claims takes about 125 miles with careful driving. Charging the lithium-ion battery pack at a household power outlet takes four hours. This time can be halved if the car is charged at special power outlets, which Mercedes hopes will become widely available.