Photo: Daimler AG
We are only days away from the official unveiling of the revamped 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222, and Stuttgart decided to offer us a preview of the model's primary attributes regarding active safety and semi-autonomous driving.
Among the photos accompanying the official press release, Stuttgart saw fit to include a few that show the redesigned center console and new steering wheel as well. We already had a general idea of how the new dashboard will look, but you can now check it out in all its glory from official sources. It should be noted that this is a Mercedes-Maybach version.
As you can see, the two wide screens have now become one that is extra-wide, and there is a whole new steering wheel. Different patterns for the upholstery should also make an appearance, while the funky-looking touchpad on top of the transmission tunnel will be redesigned as well.
The big news surrounding the facelifted S-Class is not related to the design differences, though, but to the driving assistance systems that will debut on the model.
“We are approaching the goal of automated driving more purposefully and faster than many people suspect. From the autumn, the new S-Class will be able to support its driver considerably better than all systems which have been available to date.” said Dr. Michael Hafner, Head of Automated Driving and Active Safety at Mercedes-Benz.
Thanks to the improved camera and radar systems, which can now get instructions from map and navigation data for the first time, the 2018 S-Class will get even closer to Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving.
The car will be able to reduce its speed on its own if it senses that a toll booth, roundabout, intersection or a road junction is up ahead. This will also happen when a route has been selected from the navigation system or if the car is in the slow lane on the highway and is approaching an exit.
With Active Lane Change Assist, known for debuting on the E-Class W213, drivers will be able to pass cars or change lanes on the highway just by using the indicator stalk. Sensors making sure that you don't hit anyone will then take care of the rest.
Another new function will be able to adapt the vehicle's speed to the limits that are set in place on certain roads if the driver so desires.
That said, the closest thing to making the car fully autonomous is a new piece of technology called Evasive Steering Assist, and we're pretty anxious to see how it works in real life situations. In short, the function will apparently support the car during evasive maneuvers, applying additional steering torque in the direction that the driver wants to turn.
There are many other active safety technologies that are debuting on the refreshed S-Class, and you can check them out in the attached press release, but none of them will make the car fully autonomous, sadly.
The model is expected to be officially unveiled this month, but will only reach showrooms somewhere in September, when its new inline-six and V8 engines are already being manufactured at full throttle.
As you can see, the two wide screens have now become one that is extra-wide, and there is a whole new steering wheel. Different patterns for the upholstery should also make an appearance, while the funky-looking touchpad on top of the transmission tunnel will be redesigned as well.
The big news surrounding the facelifted S-Class is not related to the design differences, though, but to the driving assistance systems that will debut on the model.
“We are approaching the goal of automated driving more purposefully and faster than many people suspect. From the autumn, the new S-Class will be able to support its driver considerably better than all systems which have been available to date.” said Dr. Michael Hafner, Head of Automated Driving and Active Safety at Mercedes-Benz.
Thanks to the improved camera and radar systems, which can now get instructions from map and navigation data for the first time, the 2018 S-Class will get even closer to Level 4 and 5 autonomous driving.
The car will be able to reduce its speed on its own if it senses that a toll booth, roundabout, intersection or a road junction is up ahead. This will also happen when a route has been selected from the navigation system or if the car is in the slow lane on the highway and is approaching an exit.
With Active Lane Change Assist, known for debuting on the E-Class W213, drivers will be able to pass cars or change lanes on the highway just by using the indicator stalk. Sensors making sure that you don't hit anyone will then take care of the rest.
Another new function will be able to adapt the vehicle's speed to the limits that are set in place on certain roads if the driver so desires.
That said, the closest thing to making the car fully autonomous is a new piece of technology called Evasive Steering Assist, and we're pretty anxious to see how it works in real life situations. In short, the function will apparently support the car during evasive maneuvers, applying additional steering torque in the direction that the driver wants to turn.
There are many other active safety technologies that are debuting on the refreshed S-Class, and you can check them out in the attached press release, but none of them will make the car fully autonomous, sadly.
The model is expected to be officially unveiled this month, but will only reach showrooms somewhere in September, when its new inline-six and V8 engines are already being manufactured at full throttle.
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