Mercedes-Benz AA Vision

The Mercedes-Benz AA Vision, where AA stands for All Activity, was a concept sport utility vehicle that Mercedes-Benz presented in January 1996 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was designed at the Sindelfingen plant and in Irvine, California, and aimed to offer a comfortable SUV for demanding customers, since North America was the largest market for such vehicles. Its features included electronically controlled permanent four-wheel drive with independent suspension on all wheels, a variable interior, two sunroofs, a navigation system, a car telephone with hands-free operation, four airbags, anti-lock brakes and the ESP stability programme. It went into series production in 1997 as the Mercedes-Benz W 163 4ETS, the M-Class, built at the Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama and sold until 2005.