At the 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz brought 28 all-star models to the show, with core highlights such as "new platform debut, Chinese innovation, all-star lineup", demonstrating its deep accumulation and latest breakthroughs in the fields of electrification and intelligence, further highlighting the core position of the Chinese market in its global strategy.
Two of the world's first heavyweight models - the new pure electric long-wheelbase CLA and Vision V concept car - became the focus of the booth.
The all-new pure electric long-wheelbase CLA is built on the MMA platform and is the first domestically produced Mercedes-Benz model equipped with the new MB.OS architecture and L2++ full-scenario intelligent assisted driving. Its triple-screen interior, 800V fast charging technology, ultra-long battery life and intelligent driving system developed by the Chinese team demonstrate Mercedes-Benz's R&D strength of "in China, for the world". Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said that it took only 12 months from the start of the project to its implementation, reflecting the feedback of "China Speed" to global innovation.
The Vision V concept car is based on the new VAN.EA pure electric architecture platform, which foreshadows the new form of luxury MPV that will be mass-produced in 2026. The modular design, large space and immersive digital experience make this model a new benchmark for business travel. Mercedes-Benz announced that it will be put into production in China after mass production in the future, further enriching the local product matrix.
On the technical level, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated its multi-pronged intelligent driving path from L2 to L4, as well as a new digital luxury experience enabled by the MB.OS system. The results of the cooperation with ByteDance are particularly eye-catching: the car model integrates the Douyin APP and a large language model, the in-car entertainment system supports AI voice assistants and 5G interconnection, and the co-pilot screen can even be interactive through gesture control. In addition, Mercedes-Benz also disclosed for the first time the forward-looking results of new solid-state battery technology, neuromorphic computing, etc., showing its layout in the future travel field.
As an important pillar of the brand, China is not only the largest single market for Mercedes-Benz in the world, but also a hotbed of technological innovation. At the Brand Technology Day on the eve of the auto show, Ola Kallenius emphasized: "China is the core of realizing our vision. It brings together the youngest customer groups and the richest innovative industrial clusters." He mentioned that the scale of the Chinese market, the advantages of the industrial chain and the development potential make Mercedes-Benz optimistic about this hot land in the long term, and even in the face of short-term fluctuations, it will continue to invest unswervingly.
In the view of Duan Jianjun, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Sales Company, innovation must have both Chinese speed and Mercedes-Benz standards. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz's local R&D and production in China. In the past decade, Mercedes-Benz has invested more than 100 billion yuan in China, and announced an additional investment of more than 14 billion yuan in 2024 alone, continuously enriching its local product lineup. Beijing Benz has become one of the world's largest and most advanced production bases, with a cumulative vehicle production of more than 5 million vehicles in 2024; the two major R&D centers in Shanghai and Beijing constitute the most comprehensive R&D network of Mercedes-Benz outside of Germany.
It is reported that Mercedes-Benz plans to release seven China-exclusive models by 2027 to enhance its market competitiveness with a richer product lineup and localized experience. Kang Linsong mentioned that Chinese customers' demand for cutting-edge technology is driving Mercedes-Benz's pace of innovation in the global market.
From the "Chinese speed" of the all-new pure electric long-wheelbase CLA to the global debut of the Vision V concept car, from the intelligent integration of the MB.OS system to the in-depth cooperation with local partners, Mercedes-Benz is fulfilling its commitment to China with practical actions. In the hot land of the Chinese market, Mercedes-Benz not only cultivates the local market, but also leads the new trend of the global luxury car market with technological innovation.
