Mercedes gives the first details about its future MB.OS infotainment system that will replace the current MBUX. The latter offers new connected functionalities and will offer even more efficient level 3 autonomous driving.
Today, cars are increasingly connected and technological. Few recent models are not equipped with touch screens and other digital phones. So much so that some are even crossing the line, such as the future SUV of the Italian-American brand Aehra, which is being converted into a cinema. Also impossible not to think of the first version of the Tesla Model S with its huge 17-inch vertical slab. A true UFO for the time!
new features
Mercedes is also very strong on this point, offering an incredible 1.40 meter wide Hyperscreen in its EQS and EQE, which combines no less than three screens in one. Something to inspire some manufacturers, and in particular Rising Auto on their R7 and F7. For several years now, the star’s firm has offered the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) system, inaugurated in the current Class A launched in 2018.
This is already available on all models in the range, but now it is about to give way to a whole new generation, which will change its name for the occasion. Is about MB.OS systemalready mentioned a few weeks before when the manufacturer presented the latest generation of its MBUX for its future E-Class. If this new system will not see the light of day immediately, Mercedes is already giving us some data.
In its press release, the German firm announces that this new software will be deployed in all the models in its catalogue, without saying which one will launch it. All we know is that it will arrive in the middle of the decade, at the same time as the new modular MMA platform (Mercedes Modular Architecture), which will be aimed at entry-level electric models. Thus, it may be that a replacement for the current A-Class will be launched and that it will be the first to be equipped with the MB.OS.
Developed internally and in collaboration with Nvidia, this new system will allow the driver above all to enjoy a more complete and practical infotainment system. This will include the integration of Google Maps navigation. It will also be possible to consult information from more than two million businesses such as restaurants and shops through the ” Venue Details“, which will be released for the first time on the latest generation of MBUX.
Improved autonomous driving
New applications will also be offered, such as Youtube, Webex or Zoom. It will also be possible to play arcade games in your car thanks to the anthill platform, as Tesla already offers. The American firm, however, has a small advantage since it has recently offered the Steam catalog on its Model S and Model X. The future E-Class will also allow you to watch videos on TikTok and play Angry Birds.
But that’s not all, because the MB.OS system will also mark a new turning point for autonomous driving. At the moment, the EQS Drive Pilot system authorizes level 3 but only up to 60 km/h, although European legislation allows driving up to 130 km/h. This will be possible with this new version. For this, the firm of the star, which has one of the best systems with Ford, recently signed an alliance with Luminar to integrate a more efficient LiDAR sensor.
We will still have to wait before being able to sleep in the car on the way to work, while level 4 autonomous driving is not expected before the end of the decade according to the manufacturer. It will also offer more services in its cars, thanks to different offers, namely MB.Connect, MB.Charge and MB.Drive that combine numerous driving assistance and comfort functions. The brand’s cars will support OTA remote updates to add new features after the car is purchased.
Mercedes also announces that it will expand its catalog of paid products and services that can be purchased directly from your carthrough the touch screen. As a reminder, the manufacturer already offers several subscription features, such as rear-wheel steering and increased power on its electric models. A strategy similar to that of BMW, which launched a subscription to take advantage of heated seats for 20 euros per month.
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