Automotive technology is moving at a breakneck pace, and Mercedes-Benz continues to position itself as one of the leaders in advanced vehicle and drive systems. The Mercedes Vision G-Code compact crossover has debuted in Beijing, China not as a production-intent vehicle, but rather as a peek at what the far future of driving might look like.

The most immediate observation is that the Vision G-Code is compact, even by today’s compact crossover standards, coming in at just 161 inches in length. That’s just about a foot shorter than the Mercedes GLA, the brand’s smallest crossover. Smaller vehicles will dominate future highways as congestion continues to grow with the planet’s population (unless we mend our ways), and automakers will need to make the most out of each and every square inch of space. Of course in a concept car cargo volume is hardly the most exciting feature, and the Vision G-Code offers a number of futuristic technologies that may one day will seem commonplace on average cars.

Among those is a cutting-edge solar paintjob that absorbs the sun’s energy and basically makes the whole concept car into one large mobile solar panel. This feeds a drivetrain that allows for the option to drive on pure electricity or with a hybrid all-wheel drivetrain, and a holographic grille even lets the rest of the world know what driving mode you opted for, just like the Mercedes Future Truck concept. Mercedes also claims the drivetrain can offer sports car-like performance in certain modes, and there’s also a whole bunch of cameras that give driver’s a 360 degree view of the road without relying on traditional aerodynamic-destroying “analog” side mirrors.

The 2+2 Vision G-Code also has a docking station for your smartphone (though who knows how long we’ll have those around as we know them) and a Formula 1-inspired steering wheel and pedal assembly. In addition to racing-like bucket seats, the interior is trimmed in aluminum, carbon fiber, and leather to appeal to traditional Mercedes luxury buyers.

Is a smaller, sportier crossover coming to China? Almost certainly, and while it might not wear solar-powered paint, Mercedes is sure it keep pushing the edge of cutting-edge technology.

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