As Director Exterior Design at Daimler AG, Robert Lesnik is responsible for the design of the Concept EQG. In the interview, he reveals exclusively what made the project so exciting for him.
“The 'G' is and remains something unique.”
Preserving tradition, but at the same time pointing towards the future: What are the special challenges of a project like the Concept EQG? How do you manage the balancing act between these seemingly contradictory requirements?
Even though it looks simple, the design of the G-Class is very complex. That is the trick of design icons. The “G” is and remains something unique. You have to nurture that. That's why it was quite clear that we had to proceed very carefully with the Concept EQG. The car has very cool, almost digital details.
Can you describe that in a little more detail?
We didn't want to change the character, but at the same time we wanted the Concept EQG to be clearly recognisable as an electrically powered vehicle at first glance. We therefore limited ourselves to a few elements typical of the Mercedes EQ family. In the front view, the so-called Black Panel is immediately noticeable. In the side view, it is above all the aero wheels that have an enormously positive effect on the range. And at the rear, instead of the spare wheel cover, there is a lockable box whose design is reminiscent of a wallbox. This could be used to conveniently store the charging cable, for example. In addition, there are a few small things that only become apparent on closer inspection. For example, there are small spoilers here and there that have never been seen before on a G-Class and which do not disturb the line from a distance – but bring extreme improvements in terms of aerodynamics.
