A luxurious touring sedan combines exceptional environmental friendliness with a solid driving performance and outstanding comfort

The F 700 research vehicle from Mercedes-Benz offers a vision of the large touring sedan of the future. As well as superior driving power, the vehicle delivers environmentally sound mobility at the highest levels of comfort.” This is how Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Body and Powertrain at Group Research and Advanced Development, describes the latest member of the Mercedes research vehicle family.

The F 700 takes a new approach toward sustainable mobility and resource conservation, while also meeting the growing demands placed on upper-range automobiles. At first glance, large sedans seem to be incompatible with low fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions. However, the F 700, which was unveiled at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt, Germany, dispels that view.

At the heart of the vehicle is the all-new DIESOTTO drive system concept that combines the low-emission benefits of the SI (gasoline) engine with the fuel economy of the diesel system (see box: DIESOTTO on p. 19). Fuel efficiency is also boosted by specially developed Michelin tires whose rolling resistance is around 17 percent lower than that of conventional tires.

Proactive chassis

The F 700 also features great advances in driving comfort. The Mercedes-Benz Active Body Control chassis used for the vehicle has been further refined and now sets new standards for comfort, safety, and dynamic handling. “The F 700 has taken a major step into the future here because its ABC chassis uses a laser scanner to monitor the road ahead,” says Hans-Georg Metzler, who is responsible for Assistance Systems and Chassis at Group Research (see box: PRE-SCAN on p. 22). “The vehicle therefore not only reacts in a highly sensitive manner to irregularities in the road surface but actually looks ahead for potential hazards.” The driver’s door also “monitors” its surroundings. Specifically, a laser scanner mounted on the left side mirror continually checks the door’s pivoting area, and the door is automatically prevented from opening if this might cause it to hit an object outside.

The DIESOTTO engine system and the PRE-SCAN chassis represent the F 700’s inner values, so to speak, and these inner values are supplemented by an exterior design that emphasizes the vehicle’s great efficiency. While developing the F 700, the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio in Irvine, California, consistently pursued a soft, flowing style that it refers to as “Aqua Dynamic.” Says Peter Pfeiffer, Mercedes-Benz Cars’ chief designer, “This style ‘translates’ the efficient flow dynamics of fish into a design for an extremely fuel efficient vehicle.” The roof of the vehicle also makes a direct reference to this inspiration from nature with an elegant “dorsal fin” that houses antennas, a rearview camera, and the vehicle’s third brake light.

Ergonomic operating concept

The F 700 also makes a big impression with a new instrument and operating concept that is based on the proven COMAND system and a range of pioneering innovations. One of the more noticeable features here is the SERVO-HMI display field. SERVO-HMI is a human-machine interface (HMI) that Daimler researchers developed to reduce driver stress and fatigue. On long journeys in particular, the need to constantly look back and forth between the instrument displays and the road can considerably strain a driver’s eyes.

In the case of the SERVO-HMI system, the display and instrument panel are mounted horizontally in the dashboard. A mirror guides the light from the display onto the bottom edge of the windshield, where the driver can see the images. The viewing distance is thus extended, which means less distance switching — and therefore less fatigue — for the eyes. Scientific studies confirm that drivers tire less quickly in a vehicle with such a system.

Secure voice control

The COMAND operating concept is used for the F 700’s navigation, communication, telephone, audio, and entertainment systems, whereby the concept has been expanded to include a shifting function. In addition, an electronic assistant provides support with complex data entry processes. This assistant takes the form of an avatar (virtual person) that appears on the SERVO-HMI display.

The F 700’s avatar has a female voice that asks for information such as the destination for the navigation system, and also confirms all voice commands issued by the driver. The search for telephone numbers or radio stations is carried out in a similar manner. This voice recognition/dialog format makes it easier for drivers to operate vehicle instruments and systems. It also enables the number of dialog-assisted functions to be significantly expanded. The onboard assistant could, for example, access online databases via the Internet, make additions to the driver’s appointments book, or read important e-mails out loud. Voice commands and responses ensure minimum driver distraction — a crucial aspect at Mercedes-Benz, where safety is always a top priority. In line with this philosophy, Mercedes engineers have kept all controls in the F 700 as simple as possible. In particular, lights, windshield wipers, the rear-window defogger, and all defrost functions are controlled completely automatically with the help of sensors.

Variable rear seat

The inventors of the F 700 came up with something completely new for the right rear seat: Known as the REVERSE seat, the unit breaks all conventions when it comes to sedan seating arrangements. The REVERSE seat allows the rear passenger to put the seat into individual upright or reclining positions facing either the front or back of the vehicle. If the front passenger seat is unoccupied, the REVERSE seat can be placed in the reclining position with just the push of a button. Here, the front passenger seat automatically moves completely forward and the backrest folds down somewhat, providing the rear passenger with a huge amount of leg room. A footrest can be extended out automatically and the rear seat brought to a completely reclined position as well.

The REVERSE seat can also be turned to face the rear. It achieves this feat by sliding 60 centimeters? forward in conjunction with the front passenger seat. The rear seat then performs half a backward roll. More specifically, the backrest folds down to a horizontal position, becoming the seat, while the original seat folds to an upright position, becoming the backrest.

Such versatility required a very clever design concept, because seat backrests are always much longer than seat cushions. In the REVERSE seat, however, the backrest and seat cushion are the same length, and each consists of five elements flexibly linked to one another. A sophisticated mechanical setup pushes these segments apart whenever they’re to be used as backrests, whereby the outer segment then serves as a headrest. Conversely, an electric motor brings the segments back together to form a continuous surface when the component is to be used as the seat cushion again.

The back seat of the F 700 features a unique entertainment system with a 51-centimeter flat screen that slides out from the partition separating the back seat from the cargo area. Its 3D display puts viewers right in the thick of the action, while a Surround Sound system offers them a cinema-like experience. Have a pleasant trip in the F 700!