The Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles division has won an Red Dot Award: Design Concept for the Unimog design concept. The "Best of Best" award went to the study presented this summer on the off-road special-purpose vehicle.
The design study caused quite a stir at the celebrations this summer to mark the 60th anniversary of the Unimog. It gives a glimpse of the design idiom of the future for commercial vehicle design at Mercedes-Benz, which will have a close connection with the legendary Unimog's design features.
The study thus links the past and the future, emphasising the standard, familiar unique selling propositions of the Unimog, such as high ground clearance, coiled springs (these are retained all in red) and the frame design, while at the same time incorporating some design elements of the future.
In this instance, the chunky bonnet reflects the typical Mercedes-Benz lines. The mudguards are just a few sparsely drawn lines, and the overall look of the concept creates its own individual dynamics. The colour selection is also no accident. The first Unimog was green, and this has remained a very popular colour with Unimog owners right up to the present day. However, the shade of green of the design study takes its inspiration from the arrow poison frog, a rare amphibian species which, like the Unimog, can be found both on land and in water.
The wheels, which in line with the Unimog design are all of equal size, feature striking and movable five-star aluminium rims, and the headlights bundle the light rather like stage lighting, giving the Unimog an all-round striking appearance.
The design concept is not intended as the prototype for a future Unimog generation, although certain details could certainly be incorporated in future. The design study continues the development history of the Unimog, displaying a highly innovative character and an exceptional degree of flexibility, just like the series production Unimog in its many applications around the world.