New MBUX system to debut in Mercedes E-Class

LARGE hi-res information screens, over-the-air updates and artificial intelligence with ‘predictive’ capabilities are features of the third-generation Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) control system that debuts in the 2024 E-Class mid-size sedan.

Due to emerge from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen, Germany plant late this year and launch in Australia in 2024, the new E-Class not only gains a new look and an updated, high-tech MBUX but also marks an end to coupe and convertible variants.

Power for the new E-Class will come from four- and six-cylinder engines with 48-volt mild hybrid assistance; plug-in hybrid variants are expected to join later on.

After debuting in the E-Class, the latest MBUX system will successively flow through into all models as they are either replaced or updated.

MBUX 3 is a redesign of the existing version intended to stay abreast of rapid developments in the in-car technology space and to place a greater focus on work and entertainment, particularly relevant in the E-Class due to its popularity as an executive fleet model that many drivers use as a mobile office.

MB has teased the new gen’ MBUX at a function in the US with a working E-Class interior complete with a high-resolution display central to the driver’s compartment.

A demonstration of the new system at a function in the US – with a working E-Class interior – featured an optional front passenger screen that extended digital readouts from the central instrument cluster right across to the car’s A pillar.

In lieu of the optional second screen, the 2024 E-Class gets a trim panel.

Adding a new dimension to business meetings is an optional on-board selfie and video camera that can be utilised for conference calls.

The "Hey Mercedes" voice recognition system has also been upgraded, with the ability to learn and improve through closer integration with online services accessed via the Mercedes Me smartphone app. 

As reported in publication Automotive News which attended the demonstration: “The new MBUX features narrow climate control vents sitting against the upper contour of the display's glass surface, connecting the central duct with the outer climate control vents to form a single unit.

“A light strip illuminates the instrument panel's front section. The lighting element, which runs in an arc from the windshield, past the A-pillars and into the doors, visually interprets the audio playing in the car.”

During the demonstration, Mercedes-Bens explained that “software analyses the audio signals based on frequency and direction with fast sequence beats, for instance, leading to rapid light changes, while conversely, flowing rhythms create softly merging lighting moods”. 

The new infotainment system uses artificial intelligence to learn the driver’s preferences and set the car according to their routine.

It integrates with the Android operating systems and allows the installation of third-party apps such as TikTok, Zoom and Webex. 

Mercedes-Benz vice president of MB.OS base layer and MBUX Michael Hafner told Automotive News that the updated system runs on a central computer to power the screens, for faster data transfers and quicker performance.

Mr Hafner told the publication that “unified computer architecture delivers hardware cost savings and makes software development more efficient”.

In an effort to minimise distraction, the MBUX monitors drivers using the software via cameras and seat sensors in the 2024 E-Class.

A further safety development is on the passenger’s side while the vehicle is in motion, where the display's "dual light control" technology can prevent a driver from seeing video and other content peripherally.

This is achieved through an in-cabin camera monitoring the driver that is capable of detecting if they are looking at the front passenger screen instead of the road. The MBUX dims the brightness of the passenger screen, making it illegible to the driver.