This lovely thing will be the common man's Mercedes CLS when it makes it to showrooms in 2013. The F 800 Style stars on Mercedes' stand in Geneva and is the first iteration of an all-new model set to sit below the CLS - but do the same sort of thing. It also previews the styling of the next CLS proper.

The production version of the F 800 will lose some of the concept's show stand detailing, like the tiny wing mirrors and sliding rear doors, but as a package it's very close to the car we'll be able to buy. Hopefully the SLS-style grille will make the cut.

It'll have about the same footprint as the current C-Class, though it will be pitched as part of the next-generation A- and B-Class family, and potentially come to market as standard with front-wheel drive. The show car sits on a new modular platform - called MFA - that will underpin the aforementioned smaller Mercs, including a new SUV.

The production car is likely to be available with the full breadth of Mercedes drivetrains, from a BlueEfficiency diesel through to a 300bhp-plus AMG version with four-wheel drive. It's modular, so it can be adapted for rear-wheel drive too, and can hold hybrid, electric and, naturally, internal combustion drivetrains.

Geneva's F 800 concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid system that matches a 296bhp petrol engine with a 108bhp electric motor and can drive on electricity for 19 miles at up to 75mph. Merc claims that the electric-only performance is similar to a V6 petrol model's, but with engine and electric motor combined the 405bhp output enables 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and a 155mph top speed. Despite that, emissions are just 68g/km and consumption is 97.4mpg. Some people call that win-win.

It's the same technology that will power hybrid versions of the next generation S-Class, with the electric motor housed within the seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox so as to avoid encroaching on passenger space. The F 800 chassis accommodates a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain too, which is accommodated entirely forward of the front seats and produces 136bhp with a 373-mile hydrogen tank range.

And because it's a concept, the F 800 showcases some of the technology we can expect to appear first in an S-Class near you - before filtering into lowlier classes. The seats are magnesium, aluminium and wood veneer - the same composition of materials that makes up a minimalist cabin, which is a fitting juxtaposition of technology and luxury. The latest COMAND touch screen satnav is the highlight, which uses a camera to track the driver's hand and project it onto the screen - a system similar to that already found in the new Audi A8. The feature that overlays the car's remaining electric range onto the satnav map in the Merc isn't in an Audi yet, though. So there.

The full gamut of Mercedes safety tech is included, as seen on the ESF concept, including next-generation Pre-Safe, which detects an imminent crash and takes active measures such as applying the brakes and 'nudging' occupants away from the impact.

Mark Nichol - 22 Feb 2010