mercedes: Mercedes gets in the fast lane of tech with the new C-Class – Times of India

It was a matter of time before technology invaded the interiors of cars. In fact, it has been happening for a while. Car makers all over the world — including India — have been upping the ante with new technology features. Mercedes Benz with the new C-Class is going full throttle. The idea, according to Mercedes, is simple: there are two screens in your life — one at home and the other at work. There’s space for a third screen as well and that’s what it’s targeting.
Car tech goes hi-tech
Step inside the new C-Class and the plush interiors will catch your eye but not before the two hugely impressive screens grab your attention. Mercedes didn’t have too look too far from home for inspiration as the infotainment system of the C-Class resembles very much like its premium, super luxurious sibling — the S-Class.
You will be greeted with a cascading 11.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is in portrait mode. Powering the all-new infotainment screen is the in-house developed MBUX platform. There’s a lot happening on this screen but it is really easy to use and understand. There’s support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — it’s a much-needed feature as most other cars offer wired support. While most people will opt to use Google Maps — we are creatures of habit, no? — the fact is that Mercedes’ navigation system is really good and fairly accurate.

The C-Class also gets a fingerprint scanner which can be used for you to login with your profile. In the C-Class, as many as seven user profiles can be created and customized. The fingerprint scanner works fine but what impresses you the most is the level of customization the user profiles offer. Once you key-in your details, including height, the steering wheel and the seat is adjusted accordingly. The next time you log in the steering wheel and seat will automatically adjust as per your profile. It is really impressive and has to be experienced to see how good it actually is. Not just that, it will also remember ambient light colours, temperature as well.
In case you don’t want to register your fingerprint, you can always resort to voice commands. Just say “Hey Mercedes” and your voice will be recognized and profile gets activated. The voice recognition system in our experience was a bit of a hit and miss.
The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster also has a lot going but that’s been a standard for all Mercedes cars in the last couple of years. What’s different is the size as Mercedes says it is the largest one offered in the segment.
A social network for cars
Something that was limited for the uber luxurious Maybach-S and the S-class is now available in the C-Class as well — the Car-to-X communication system. The Car-to-X technology can be described — or rather Mercedes described it as — social network of cars. What it does is that it can capture potholes, speed bumps, slippery road, heavy rain, fog conditions, vehicle accidents and also allows general warning manual triggers for road safety hazards. It then can further notify all other connected Mercedes-Benz cars of hazards in the vicinity. How it works? It works with cloud-based Mercedes me connect technology. Other cars get notified via Mercedes-Benz cloud on the navigation system. Drivers get visual as well as audio alerts.
Apps and cars have come a long way and Mercedes has improved its Mercedes App further for the C-Class. There are a host of features the app has. For instance, you can check cool the cabin from the app before you even enter. Other features like geofencing, tyre pressure, service due reminder, locking/unlocking of doors and windows, and much more.