Seventh generation Mercedes Benz S-Class

[F1 Silver Arrows]

So, you're a fan?

Hell yeah.

 

[Motor]

 

[Rydo]

What in particular do you think is good?

@Motor The ideas of the technologies presented in this video are truly excellent. However, execution will more than likely leave a lot to be desired.

The curent MBUX experience is one of glitches, bugs, crashes and general irks on the A-Class - at least here in Britain. I know that A-Class was the first generation to receive MBUX, but I have read of some issues with GLEs having similar issues of gauge cluster displays not coming on and poor owners having no clue what speed they were doing until it felt like working again. This is just one of the issues including general laggy responsiveness and dropouts of features.

In this video, at around 0:45, there is a very brief clip of a web-browser being used and the experience looks in a word: dire. This is the main issue with so much touch-screen tech made by a company who are not in the business of touch-screen tech. There really is a reason that people want Apple CarPlay and Android Auto more than just - 'I want to play my music in my car'. The reason is that Google and Apple know exactly how to nail a touch screen interface and the responsiveness it requires in order to make it pleasant and joyful to operate.

I feel a sense of cheek in criticising any in-car technology considering Lexus's generally considered woeful state of affairs in this realm, but I would rather less bad tech than endless levels of it.

When a car company has a 60fps smooth scrolling and smooth animation experience across every aspect of the infotainment - let me know.

 

[Levi]

Everything feels so fake and soulless. Totally pointless.

 

[Motor]

@Rydo I don’t think there’s much to say. MBUX has its flaws and it shows a lot of promise. My experience with it is limited, however. The only good I see is that M-B is trying with its infotainment and it isn’t a 100% clone of Tesla’s.

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The name MBUX for the new infotainment system signals that the user experience (UX) is to the fore. A unique feature of this system is its ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligence. MBUX can be individualised and adapts to suit the user. It thus creates an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers. At the same time updates “over the air” are possible. It also heralds a new era at Mercedes me Connectivity.

 

[Rydo]

@Rydo I don’t think there’s much to say. MBUX has its flaws and it shows a lot of promise. My experience with it is limited, however. The only good I see is that M-B is trying with its infotainment and it isn’t a 100% clone of Tesla’s.

Mercedes-Benz Brand Experience

Innovative concepts, exceptional collaborations, background stories. Be inspired.

www.mercedes-benz.com

The name MBUX for the new infotainment system signals that the user experience (UX) is to the fore. A unique feature of this system is its ability to learn thanks to artificial intelligence. MBUX can be individualised and adapts to suit the user. It thus creates an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers. At the same time updates “over the air” are possible. It also heralds a new era at Mercedes me Connectivity.

Repeat the marketing garbage all you want, but join a W177 Facebook group or head over to the A-Class section of BenzWorld to see the updates are anything but 'over the air' and that the AI is about as smart as most of these voice command devices - give it a command a bit more complex and you'll come to a dead end - no matter how many gimmicky things they show in the reviews.

I don't doubt it's a very good infotainment system, but it's still not a very good user experience overall like using your smartphone where day to day you can spend hours on it with next to zero frustration.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I don't think @Motor was making any judgement either way about the system, they just posted a video. Which is what they do.

I'm still waiting for a carmaker to have the courage to just provide a screen that only does CarPlay/Android Auto and leaves the heavy lifting to the phone. Ship apps for iOS/Android that control the radio and whatever as part of the CP/AA interface (and provide physical controls for the HVAC).

 

[Sulu]

I'm still waiting for a carmaker to have the courage to just provide a screen that only does CarPlay/Android Auto and leaves the heavy lifting to the phone. Ship apps for iOS/Android that control the radio and whatever as part of the CP/AA interface (and provide physical controls for the HVAC).

It is the whatever part that would be difficult. That would include everything else you do via the central infotainment display that is not related to entertainment, namely configuring whatever parameters that the automaker allows to be changed -- HVAC, seat heating and cooling, automatic lights delay settings, suspension settings, etc., etc., etc. ...

Allowing those changes via a standard (e.g. smartphone) interface would require that automakers agree on a standard list of configurable parameters and a standard method of how to change them.

Considering that we are still waiting for an agreed-to international standard for measuring fuel consumption and an international standard for automotive safety (crashworthiness, lights, etc.), the infotainment standard is a long-way off.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

It actually wouldn't require a standard, although that would be nice to avoid chaos. You'd have a Lexus app on the phone that knew how to control Lexus' stuff and was CarPlay-compliant so it can appear on the screen. Or a Ford app or Mercedes or whoever.

 

[supra93]

Hybrid Mercedes-AMG S63e caught in new spy photos - Autoblog

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class will get a high-performance plug-in hybrid variant courtesy of in-house tuning shop AMG.

www.autoblog.com

 

[Motor]

 

[mikeavelli]

I really want one and I don’t know why lol

 

[Ian Schmidt]

Not the S-Class, but Merc just launched a recall on the GLE and GLS where turning on the light-up Benz logo in the grille would cause the power steering to fail. I have so many questions.

 

[F1 Silver Arrows]

Not the S-Class, but Merc just launched a recall on the GLE and GLS where turning on the light-up Benz logo in the grille would cause the power steering to fail. I have so many questions.

I really am confused by this too. They were getting better in reliability, then we see this happen. -____-

 

[Tragic Bronson]

 

[Sulu]

Not the S-Class, but Merc just launched a recall on the GLE and GLS where turning on the light-up Benz logo in the grille would cause the power steering to fail. I have so many questions.

The star logo shares an electrical ground connection with some other components -- power steering control unit, wiper motor and left headlight. When the logo's backlighting is switched on, without a good electrical ground connection, there would be stray, unknown voltages in those other circuits.

The recall will relocate the ground connection to solve the problem.

This sounds to me like either a design issue and/or due to inadequate electrical testing. The backlit logo would be a late addition to the electrical system and somebody forgot to consider that the LED backlight would add noise to the circuit. And electrical testing may have missed testing those other circuits with the logo backlight on.

It should not have happened.

 

[Motor]

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Come and get it Jeff Bezos

 

[Ian Schmidt]

That Maybach looks like a cross between a Genesis and 90s GM. The interior's pretty nice though.

 

[mikeavelli]

What an interior...

 

[Motor]

The S-Class from Mercedes-AMG: Perfect synthesis of luxurious comfort and driving dynamics with E PERFORMANCE

The S-Class has always played an important role for Mercedes-AMG.

media.mbusa.com

• Performance hybrid with Formula 1™ technology transfer to new Mercedes-AMG S 63 E PERFORMANCE
• Improved AMG high-performance battery with 13.1 kWh capacity
• Handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 Biturbo engine at the front and electric motor at the rear axle for 791 hp combined output – the most powerful S-Class of all time
• Active roll stabilization and active rear-axle steering fitted standard
• AMG-specific radiator grille featured on the performance luxury sedan for the first time