If you’re a golfer or someone who lives in a senior suburban community, you’re well aware that golf carts, for the most part, have carried on practically unchanged for years. Sure, they have gained radios and more advanced electric drivetrains, but the general design and capabilities have been unaltered. All that could very well change in the near future and, if so, it will happen at the hands of none other than Mercedes-Benz and Garia. That’s right, the luxury manufacturer has gone out of its way to design a “golf car” prototype that will move into series production should it garner enough interest from the market and general public.

For those of you who don’t know, Garia is actually a well-known golf cart manufacturer, and will actually be in charge of production. The company is building two prototypes of this “golf car” now and will be responsible for the for the series production in the future. The golf car that you see here was penned by MB designers, Daimler's Think & Act Tank Business Innovation, and Garia itself. It all started back in 2013 when MB asked the public to submit their own designs for a Mercedes-Benz golf cart. It took a few years for MB to come up with its own design, but here we are.

Dr. Jens Thiemer, the Vice President of Marketing for Mercedes Cars, said, “With the Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car we are offering a high-end golf cart which is absolutely unique and was specifically developed for sporting golfers and the sport they enjoy."

With that said, let’s take a good look at what could be the next evolutionary stage of the golf cart and see just what Mercedes has in mind.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car.

2016 Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What makes the Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car special

As in typical Mercedes fashion, the Golf Car is excessively different from other golf carts on the market. On the outside, you’ll notice some pretty standard Mercedes design cues. For instance, instead of a boring, flat windshield, the Golf Car has a curved windscreen. The roof is made from carbon fiber and is painted in black to stand out against the white finish of the body. Furthermore, the cart has clear-finished carbon fiber fenders that appear to hover over the top of the wheels and tires, and there are carbon fiber inserts around the LED headlights, along the bottom of the front body work, and along the top of the golf-ball-textured imitation grille. There is also, unsurprisingly, a small rear spoiler in the rear – I guess you really can put a spoiler on anything – that doubles as a golf bag holder. Down below, there is a carbon fiber diffuser that Mercedes says is a “lighthearted reference to the vehicles character as a real sports car.”

The inside of the Golf Car is even more interesting. To start off, there is a refrigerator under the bench seat and a storage tray under the dash that can carry golf balls and tees. There are also bottle supports on each side of the dash to provide space for glasses and bottles. Down, below the dash, you’ll notice that the acceleration and brake pedals feature a “+” and a “-,“ respectively, which is a reference to Garia. There is an integrated touchscreen display perched on the dash that is 10.1-inches and oriented vertically, just like that of the Tesla Model S and the Renault Megane. It has a resolution of 2560x1600 and displays vital information for the Gold Car including battery power, remaining range, speed, and status of the parking brake. In addition to this vital information, riders can also view the layout of whatever golf course they are on, keep track of score with a digital scorecard, check the current weather situation, order refreshments, and control various functions like the windshield wipers and headlamps. The Golf Car comes complete with Bluetooth phone connectivity and a pair of hi-fi speakers that are built into the rear roof pillars.

Considering the Golf Car comes from a German company like Mercedes-Benz, it should come as no surprise that it is properly equipped so that it can be approved for road use in the U.S. As such, it has headlights, taillights, and turn indicators. It has a double wishbone suspension system that should offer comfortable and smooth driving. The Golf Car itself is just 92.5-inches long, 47.2-inches wide, and 67.7-inches tall. It tips the scale at 970 pounds and can carry up to 1,014 pounds. The cart has a nominal output of three kilowatts, or about 4.02 horsepower, but can offer boosted output of up to 11 kW or about 14.75 horsepower for short periods of time. Mercedes hasn’t disclosed any specifics of the battery itself, but it is lithium-ion in nature and can be fully charged in about six hours. It has a top speed that is governed to 19 mph and has a range of about 50 miles on a single charge. Braking duties are handled by a disc brake system.

As you can see, this is a pretty elegant looking golf cart, but without a price point to go by, I’m a little skeptical as to whether or not it will actually be affordable. Mercedes has a history of taking a little too much pride in their vehicles, which is why it has so many models that carry excessively high prices (think AMG.) Not that some of its models aren’t worth the price, I just don’t agree with a $30,000 difference between trim levels. That said, I have a feeling that anyone wanting a Golf Car is going to pay a pretty penny to get one. Now golfers and retired people everywhere can hit the links, or their local subdivision block is Mercedes style. I hope Mercedes has a little more up its sleeve for that “Model S” fighter we’ve been hearing so much about recently – a 14-horsepower golf cart just isn’t going to cut the mustard on that front.