The upcoming Mercedes A-Class will be the company’s
first model to use the innovative MBUX infotainment system, which was presented
at this year’s CES in Las Vegas.
UX stands for user experience, with Mercedes claiming
that their new infotainment system has the ability to learn thanks to
artificial intelligence. A-Class customers will be given the option of three
different versions: the basic version with dual 7-inch displays, a mid-level
system with one 7-inch and one 10.25-inch screen and a range-topping dual
10.25-inch display system, offering a resolution of up to 1920x720 pixels (200
dpi).
Everything is controlled either via touch or
intelligent voice control, with the system utilizing a touchscreen, touch-control
buttons on the steering wheel and a new touchpad on the center console with
haptic feedback. Connectivity options include everything from Apple CarPlay to
Google Android Auto and even Baidu CarLife for cars sold in China. There are
two classic USB ports and one USB Type-C for faster charging.
Mercedes says that the voice control works with
natural speech recognition and is activated by simply saying “Hey Mercedes”.
The language assistant’s ability to identify indirect speech means that the
user can say things like “I am cold” instead of the clear command “Temperature
to 24 degrees” in order to operate the climate control.
The new infotainment system will also debut the
latest Mercedes me connected services which will offer services like sending a
message when the parked vehicle is damaged or moved, a virtual key on the
smartphone that works via NFC and geographical vehicle monitoring to notify the
owner if the car is being driven on routes not permitted, among other.
As for the hardware, the new MBUX system packs 8GB
of RAM memory, a six-core CPU and two different graphics chips from NVIDIA,
depending on which version of the system you go for. Mercedes’ new MBUX
infotainment uses the Linux operating system. Mercedes says that their new
infotainment system will equip its compact model range, at least initially.
