Mercedes-Benz V-Class Captain’s Seat
First class safety and convenience designed and engineered in Thailand
In 2019, Shakes collaborated with Mercedes-Benz Thailand and Premium Automotive Alliance to redesign the V-Class for the local market. To meet commercial requirements, the V-Class needed to be reconfigured with an 11-seat layout, adding two Captain’s seats and a new floor plan with three seat rows in the rear. Shakes developed the Captain’s seat design and seat box to meet Mercedes-Benz M1 safety standards, enhancing both functionality and comfort.
MAKING WAY FOR COMFORT
The key challenge was creating enough space for passengers to move from the first row to the back without sacrificing the premium Mercedes-Benz experience. Shakes solved this with an innovative, patented armrest mechanism that folds inward, creating an 18 cm pass-through channel while increasing seat width by 8 cm for added comfort.
COMFORT FROM HEAD TO TOE
The Captain’s seat features electric seat adjustment controls integrated into the seat box and an extendable footrest for full-body relaxation during long rides. The design seamlessly matches the rest of the V-Class interior, maintaining a cohesive look and feel.
PROCESS-LED
Shakes engineered around the existing anchors inside the V-Class cabin, ensuring no modifications were made to the chassis. Local 3D scanning was used to define tolerances and ensure our design aligned with official Mercedes-Benz specifications. Shakes managed the entire production process, ensuring quality and precision.
mercedes-benz Testing
As a testament to our design and engineering, Shakes was invited to present the V-Class redesign at Daimler Headquarters in Stuttgart, where we showcased our M1 test results and initiated further optimizations with their technical team.
The seat is currently still in development after several years of customs complications. It is being overhauled and re-engineered to pass new legislation for a release in 2023.
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