Mercedes, however, has taken the trend to a whole new level.
Its new MBUX hyper screen covers almost the entire dashboard in front of the driver and passenger. It can not even be measured obliquely because it is not a rectangle. It is curved. Holes let air through. MBUX, which stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience, is Mercedes’ name for the touch screen software in its cars.
All the glass is not really a single interactive screen. There are three separate screens behind the large, dark glass that give the appearance of a single large screen. One of the screens serves as the benchmark in front of the driver, one is in the usual central location within reach of both the passenger and driver, and there’s another in front of the passenger seat.
With the screen in front of the passenger seat, the occupant can choose their own entertainment functions and in countries where it is legal, watch videos with Bluetooth headphones. If no one is sitting on the front passenger seat, the screen will display decorative designs.
The new display system will be available on the Mercedes EQS, a large electric luxury sedan that is expected to be announced later this year.
Rear seat passengers in the EQS also have their own screens, and occupants can “flicker” the content from one screen to another with a finger.
In addition to the screen itself, Mercedes said the car will have an artificial intelligence entertainment system to predict the needs and preferences of drivers and passengers. For example, if a driver massages a “Hot Stone Massage” feature from the seats on cold days, the option will be offered to the driver as soon as they get in the car. Other options, such as destination, music choices, and different vehicle settings, will also change automatically based on things like local time, place, and temperature.
Except that cars are sold with larger screens, Mercedes also plans to make money – more than $ 1 billion annually by 2025 – from software and data subscriptions for on-screen programs, said Öla Källenius, chairman of Mercedes-Benz and its parent company said. , Daimler.
Mercedes has done collision tests with the screen to ensure it is safe, Källenius said.
In the event of an accident, the glass plate is designed with specific breaking points so that it does not break dangerously. Hooks that hold it to the dashboard are also designed to break away hard.