Mercedes Changes Its Rhythm: More Flexibility, Fewer Abrupt Moves

The departure of Mercedes-Benz design director Gorden Wagener earlier this year was a notable event for the industry. His successor — former head of AMG design Bastian Baudi — has officially taken the position, and serious changes may be ahead. Baudi has not made any public statements yet, but veteran Mercedes designer Achim Badstübner shared his vision for the future of the brand's design and how the change in leadership might affect it.

A key point is that Baudi has long worked within the company, which largely defines the nature of the changes. Unlike the high-profile appointments at other brands — such as Massimo Frascelli's move from Land Rover to Audi — Mercedes is betting on internal continuity. Baudi, like Gorden Wagener, Bruno Sacco, and Friedrich Geiger before him, started his career as a design intern and gradually rose to leadership.

Badstübner explains: "If you look at our history, designers stay with the company for decades. Geiger led for 24 years, Sacco for 20, Gorden for 17. They all started as interns; no one was brought in from outside. This is part of our philosophy."

Such stability does not mean a lack of development, but indicates a gradual, evolutionary approach. "We are not looking for a new designer or a new theme every year," says Badstübner. "Continuity is important to us. We have one leader who represents the entire team."

At the same time, Mercedes, like many traditional automakers, has faced criticism in recent years — whether it be the design of early electric vehicles in the EQ lineup or more recent models with various types of powertrains, such as the new CLA and GLB.

When asked if this feedback influences the change in leadership, Badstübner responds cautiously: "We do not live in a vacuum — of course, we observe, analyze, and listen. But listening too much is also not advisable. If you ask everyone, you can get 20,000 different opinions and lose the essence of what you are doing. There is always a risk, but over 140 years we have learned to manage it.

We always compare the new model with the previous one: is it a sufficient step forward, have we progressed far enough? But we do not focus on what BMW or Lexus are doing. That is not so important to us. We believe in ourselves and must be sure that our customers see and understand the progress we offer them. Direct comparisons with competitors are not our priority."

Baudi's experience within the company is also considered an important factor. "He grew up in Mercedes," adds Badstübner. "He started in the advanced design department, then worked in my team on production models. After that, we sent him to AMG to gain more independence and management experience, and now he is returning."

Speaking about the influence of AMG on the core model range, Badstübner notes: "AMG is a more compact and flexible structure, and that is valuable to us. I already see that they work a bit differently, and Baudi wants to bring some of that approach to Mercedes. Mercedes is like a tanker, while AMG is like a speedboat. A little more 'boat-like' thinking would not hurt us. But he understands the scale of the company and knows what can be changed and what cannot."
All of this indicates that future Mercedes models will evolve through careful but significant changes. At the same time, some of the upcoming new products will still reflect the design direction established under Wagener.

Against the backdrop of Volkswagen entering a new design era, Audi preparing a major redesign for 2027, and BMW betting on the Neue Klasse, certain changes at Mercedes seem inevitable. The only question is how quickly they will manifest.