Mercedes Designer Admits 'A Mistake' Was Made in 2023

On a sunny November day, on a rooftop in Granada, Spain, Mercedes-Benz Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagner revealed the one big misstep the German automaker has made in 2023 exclusively to Newsweek. In a bid to be like Louis Vuitton, the car company's design team went too far.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class was born as a "approachable interpretation of desire for a youthful and dynamic global market segment" the company said in a press release upon its debut in Munich earlier this year.

The preview of a future four-door fastback car featured design elements that have been made notable by current EQS, EQE and GT design, but pushed beyond those confines.

Part of that pushing included putting the signature Mercedes-Benz three-point star all over the car, from the roof glass to the wheels, grille, taillights and headlights.

Following the introduction, criticism about its design was swift to arrive. "From faux grille to taillights, the CLA concept is festooned in three-pointed stars ... We asked one Mercedes staffer how many three-pointed stars there were, and the look on their face indicated that they hadn't counted and were dreading the thought of being asked to do so at our request," Motortrend's Aaron Gold wrote.

"This is the gaudiest car I've ever seen," commenter BigRed91 shared on Jalopnik's article about the debut. In their write up of the reveal, Slashgear said it had, "Deep red paint and more stars than you can shake a stick at."

Wagner defended the use of the star to a point. "Patterns, first of all, is a great thing. We use the Maybach as a pattern and we use the star as a pattern. I mean, I've not seen any Audi or BMW patterns, right? That means that at least you have brand elements that we can use, like Louis Vuitton."

The history of the Mercedes-Benz emblem dates back to the roots of the company. In 1909 an image of a multi-pointed star on an 1872 postcard from company founder Gottlieb Daimler was used as the inspiration for the company logo.

Wagner acknowledged that there was something in the Concept CLA Class that Mercedes-Benz isn't particularly known for, excess. "We must only watch that we are not using it too much, that we are careful with it. Actually, on that latest show car, there has been a bit too much, to be quite frank. And I don't know how it happened. It was a mistake.

"We have some [stars] on the roof, we have some in the wheels and we have some on the grille. And, of course on the grille makes sense ... But the other ones have been used too much. And, if you use it too much, then you will drag it down, you will water it down, and that must not happen," he continued.

In an era of great technological and design change, automakers worldwide are approaching new model designs with fresh freedoms and restrictions. "We're at a point where automakers have an opportunity to redefine design and brand image as the industry transitions to an electrified era. When an automaker attempts to evolve its styling direction, often presented through a concept, there's always a risk the result will be polarizing, misunderstood or not well-received," Paul Waatti, a manager of industry analysis at AutoPacific told Newsweek.

"Mercedes-Benz pushed the envelope with the CLA Concept and maybe lost some of the brand's true north along the way, but there's merit in going too far sometimes. It's easy to phone it in with an inoffensive design, but stepping outside a brand's box takes courage and often is where true innovation happens," Waatti said.

Company insiders told Newsweek that the Concept CLA Class was 90-percent true to production form when it debuted. That leaves design wiggle room for the future.

"In the future [we] must be a little bit more careful with where and how to use [the star] ... We must protect it a little bit," Wagner said.

"What's critical is what the brand takes away from the design exercise and how it pivots. As with any concept, Mercedes-Benz can tweak the CLA concept before primetime and better align it with the brand's trajectory. The technology behind the concept car and how it will work its way through the portfolio is what was most important with the CLA concept anyway, and Mercedes-Benz shows great promise in that regard," Waatti shared.

Concept CLA Class's ostentatiousness didn't come out of left field. Mercedes-Maybach introduced a new, Maybach logo-rich flavor of car and SUVs in New York City earlier this year.

The introduction of the Night Series S-Class, EQS SUV and GLS added bold appearance enhancements to the already proven formula of exclusive, elegantly packaged vehicles that heighten the good of Mercedes-Benz models with added features, including more advanced technology and power.

The three vehicles share many of the same Maybach Night Series design characteristics: dark chrome, rose gold detailing, wheels with a "dark glossy" Maybach pattern and herringbone interior accents. An in-car screen illumination sequence begins upon entry that features an exclusive Night Series animation. Unique ambient lighting options are designed to enhance the Night Series color palette.

Each model also features its own Night Series enhancements based on exterior styling details.

"Because of our luxury brand, we need to be extravagant," Wagner said. "You must not be too mainstream."