Mercedes gives us a tantalizing first glimpse at its 'most efficient model ever'

Mercedes-Benz has teased its "most efficient model ever" ahead of the new electric vehicle's official unveiling at CES 2022 in January.

Called the Vision EQXX, it looks to be a sporty entry in the brand's burgeoning EQ line – following the launch of the Mercedes EQS earlier this year – that will "explore new frontiers of efficiency."

As per a recent press release issued by Mercedes, the Vision EQXX will boast "advances across all elements of its cutting-edge electric drivetrain," including the use of "lightweight engineering [...], sustainable materials [...] and a barrage of intelligent efficiency measures."

While that sounds like typically superficial marketing jargon, company boss Markus Schafer previously revealed that the Vision EQXX will sport an eye-watering range of up to 1000km (620 miles). For an electric vehicle, that's a market-leading figure.

A style shake-up

The car's first teaser image (above) suggests the Vision EQXX could prove a shake-up for the brand on design front, too. From what we can tell, it looks like no Mercedes we've seen before – more akin to the contours of an Aston Martin DB5 or Robert Pattinson-era Batmobile than an aggressive German tourer.

Still, we're yet to see the Vision EQXX in all its electric glory, so we'll hold off on more appropriate comparisons for now.

That being said, we do know the Vision EQXX will have to come equipped with some pretty exceptional performance specs if it hopes to live up to the brand's promise of being the "most efficient Mercedes-Benz ever."

The EQS is already an impressively nimble machine, offering great range (we comfortably achieved 400 miles on a single charge during our time with the machine) and a host of futuristic interior tech, while the recently announced AMG version ups the ante even further.

The Mercedes EQS released earlier this year (Image credit: Mercedes)

Then there's the shiny new Mercedes EQE electric sedan, too – a more compact, athletic-looking spin on the standard EQS, comparable to the existing CLS line.

It's something of a mystery, then, to know where the Vision EQXX will sit in the brand's ever-growing electric lineup.

It's clearly going to have a focus on aerodynamics and range, though we're not yet certain whether that will bring the cost up or down compared to its electric siblings.

Mercedes plans to officially lift the lid on the Vision EQXX when its CES 2022 stand opens on January 5, so we'll likely have more information next month when we're on the ground ourselves in Las Vegas.