For ten years, the designo range of products has been available for Mercedes customers with particularly demanding tastes. This range of products for individualizing automotive interiors was first unveiled at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt/Main in 1995. For the ten-year anniversary, Mercedes-Benz will present two designo interior furnishing packages (available in spring 2006) for the new S Class at the 61st IAA 2005. The packages allow owners to upgrade the new Mercedes flagship model with specially coordinated and matched components consisting of designo leather fittings and design trim elements.

The S Class with designo Edition I features a striking, contrast-rich composition: The exceptionally soft, yellow pastel designo aniline leather on the seats and armrests combined with the shining piano black trim and the Alcantara anthracite roof lining strikes a very distinctive note against the generally black backdrop of the interior appointments. The designo Edition II immerses the passengers in a well-developed lounge atmosphere. It consists of a classic combination of designo aniline leather in an armagnac colour, precious trim elements in designo natural grained maple, and the Alcantara roof lining in anthracite.

The seats of both designo Edition furnishing packages have a characteristic appearance that entails ten-fold longitudinal piping, double-topstiched seams and metal designo badges in the front and rear backrests. Included as well are black velour floor mats with a black designo leather border and designo metal plates. Both designo furnishing packages are available for all the models of the new S Class (except the S 600), whether short- or long-wheelbase versions.

In addition, designo gives customers the option of creating their very own S Class using a broad palette of paint schemes, leather colours and trim elements. The range of possibilities is suggested by the flagship V12 model S 600, which will be unveiled for the first time at the IAA. Thanks to the combination of paint in designo mocha black, designo aniline leather exclusively in the designo sand colour tone and fine wood trims in designo natural grained maple, customers will have more than enough possibilities to equip their new S Class to meet their individual tastes.

The designo range will be offered for all Mercedes-Benz passenger car models (exceptions: M Class as of mid-2006; R Class from spring 2007) and provides endless combination options. There are numerous possibilities for combining the 13 extraordinary designo paint finishes, the ultra-soft designo leather in 25 exclusive colours, and the 18 designo trim variants in four different materials — fine wood, piano lacquer, stone and leather-covered. This means that customers can equip their cars to suit their individual tastes, which is appropriate to the designo slogan: “designo. Your customised Mercedes”.

In addition to the new S Class, the harmonised designo Edition furnishing packages will also be offered for other models in future.

designo varicolour paint: fascinating effects of changing colours

The exclusive designo varicolour paint gives the Mercedes models an extra special touch. The finest metal glimmer in the individual layers of paint creates fascinating effects of changing colours, depending on the incidence of light and viewing angle. Two different colour tones are available. The other designo colours also give the vehicles an exquisite finish.

The interior is also eye-catching. Not only are the one or two-tone designo seats covered with extremely high-quality leather, but they also have a special design (depending on the model): The distinctive seat design consists of colour-coordinated seam lines, a matte, chrome-plated designo metal plaque on the backrest or designo lettering on the headrest. The feel, form and smell of this special interior covered in fully grained, high-quality cow’s leather meet the highest standards and give drivers the feeling that they are driving a very special vehicle. In addition to the designo leather fittings, the A Class, B Class and SLK Class can also be fitted with designo leather/Alcantara upholstery in one or two tones, depending on the model. The designo Alcantara inside roof lining available in various colour tones adds an exquisite touch.

designo trim elements in wood, leather or natural stone

There are no limits to Mercedes customers’ creativity when it comes to trim elements for the interior design. Fine wood veneers in different grains and colour nuances are particularly eye-catching. Exquisite woods are hand-worked into unique and fine veneers in labour-intensive manufacturing processes. Whether designo black piano lacquer, designo natural matte grained oak, designo natural maple or high-gloss poplar, the selection is huge and is harmonised with the respective vehicle, the colour tones of the designo paint and the designo leather interior finishes. The SLK Roadsters can also be enhanced with designo leather-covered trim elements and rollover bars.

The worldwide unique designo natural stone trim elements, which were presented for the first time in 2000, add an exclusive touch. The decorative trims used for the interior door panels, the centre console, the steering wheel rim and the selector lever are made from high-quality granite. Two different versions are available for the CL Class and SL Class models — the shimmering designo Labrador blue pearl and the designo Viking green. Both the stone trim elements and the wood trim elements were given top marks in the crash tests. Even the light fastness of the material is perfect.

Mercedes quality for all designo elements

Top Mercedes quality is provided for all designo elements as a matter of course. Whereas the excellent quality of the Mercedes-Benz leather is already impressive, the fully-grained designo leather spoils passengers with an even softer surface. Perfection is top priority, not only when it comes to selecting the materials but also when working them. Extensive testing is conducted to ensure the durability of all designo elements, including the designo paints and trim elements.

Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach creates even more freedom for expressing individual lifestyles. Partly based on the designo range, Mercedes-AMG offers a full spectrum of interior variants, including everything from sophisticated multimedia solutions to a complete conversion of vehicles, which means that customers can have anything they want — within the scope of the law.