Drivers of Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation E class will have to get used to a startling feeling: the steering wheel moving in their hands as it pilots highways and country roads by itself.
What has so far only been shown in test situations will be available as of about March next year, when Daimler’s new model goes on sale. The technology packing the vehicle shows how quickly automated driving systems have advanced since 1998, when the Mercedes S class first featured cruise control that could adjust its speed to follow a car in front.
Self-driving systems are among many areas in which Mercedes is working to gain an edge on rivals Audi and BMW. Currently No. 3 in luxury-car sales, Daimler’s Mercedes brand is fighting to take the lead in the segment by 2020.
It’s also testing the limits of what’s allowed under current regulations, which in most places require the driver to be in a position to control the vehicle at all times.
The E class, which competes with the BMW 5 series, Audi A6 and Lexus GS, is Mercedes’ mainstay luxury sedan. Offering options more advanced than those in the flagship S class shows how much Daimler is raising the stakes in the battle to reclaim the top spot in premium car sales. Audi has already sent an unmanned RS7 around a track at racing speeds and is currently testing an unmanned A7 in Shanghai China for market release soon.
