Each year at IAA Mercedes reveals a new concept car previewing the new technologies and design features for the brand. This year it’s the Mercedes F125.

The car celebrates the 25th anniversary of motorcar, reflecting the birthday motto “125! Years of Innovation”, while giving us a glimpse of the future S-Class. Those gullwing doors might just be for the show, but the profile of the car resembles a luxury saloon.

The car is also hugely advanced in terms of technology. The F 125! is driven by an F-CELL plug-in HYBRID, consisting of a further-developed fuel cell and a high-performance lithium-sulfur high-voltage battery. Energy storage is provided by a completely new kind of hydrogen tank that is integrated directly into the bodyshell structure.

Four electric motors are used to power each of the wheels, generating a combined output of a peak output of 313 hp. This accelerates the F125! to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 220 km/h. Nonetheless, NEDC fuel consumption is only 0.79 kilograms of hydrogen per 100 kilometres (= 2.7 litres diesel equivalent). So with a full tank of H2 you will be able to cover 1000 km, and the only emission is water, H2O.

The F125 also showcases the next generation of Mercedes COMMAND system, with a 17-inch display and a range of multimedia and connectivity features.

Highlights of the F125!:

• Completely emission-free mobility with a range of up to 1000 kilometres, full day-to-day suitability, superior performance and first-class comfort.
• A bodyshell of innovative, lightweight hybrid construction with a high proportion of fibre-reinforced plastics and an intelligent mix of carbon-fibre, aluminium and high-strength steels, which allows a significant weight reduction while offering a further considerable improvement in safety. A high-strength construction with crash-responsive protective systems within the doors allows the omission of B-pillars, as well as the use of wide gull-wing doors which allow convenient access to the four seats. In this way the Mercedes-Benz safety philosophy and in particular the decisive principle of the rigid passenger cell developed by Béla Barényi in 1952 are being concertedly taken forward for the future of individual mobility.
• A high-voltage lithium-sulphur battery with a specific energy density of 350 Wh per kg at cell level, which allows considerably higher recuperation rates in combination with the e4MATIC all-wheel drive.
• A control and display concept based on touch, speech and hand-gestures makes the Mercedes-Benz F125! a true “companion” with whom the driver is able to interact flexibly and effortlessly. The gull-wing doors of light-weight CRP construction can also be opened and closed by hand-gestures.
• Highly attractive displays using 3D and projector-beam technology to open up new visual possibilities.
• Next-generation, substantially networked telematics allow internet-based voice control, integration into social media and extensive remote control of vehicle settings and entertainment functions.
• Innovative assistance systems for lasting driver stress relief, e.g. Advanced Driving Assist for semi-autonomous driving.
• Trailblazing exterior and interior design based on a completely new saloon architecture.