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Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class

Michael Harley — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

The all-new 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, designated W222, is one of the most highly anticipated debuts of its model year. Every generation of the flagship sedan has broken new ground in technology and innovation for the entire industry, and the German automaker appears determined to raise the bar much further with its latest arrival as it promises to deliver "the best automobile in the world." Mercedes-Benz has just released nearly two dozen interior images of the new sedan, showing off style in design, craftsmanship in execution and pioneering advancements in technology.

Unlike all previous generations - the first S-Class officially arrived in 1972 - the 2014 model completely discards a traditional instrument cluster and replaces it with two high-resolution color displays in 8:3 format with a screen diagonal of 12.3 inches (the outgoing model's gauges were a mix of digital and analog). The left unit displays traditional analog gauges (digitally, of course) while the right unit is reserved for infotainment and comfort settings with the automaker's all-new mBrace2 - a cloud-based entertainment and information delivery system that is rolling out this year.

Passengers will be pampered with "energizing" massage, active seat ventilation with reversing fans, heated seats, heated steering wheel and heated armrests (door and center). A total of 14 separately actuated air bladders in the backrest of the seats will provide six different massage programs. There are also "beltbags" (airbags in the seatbelt webbing - not unlike the Ford Explorer) and the limousine models feature a reclining rear seat that moves the front passenger seat completely out of the way for additional room.

Mercedes calls its newly developed climate control "thermotronic," as it features completely autonomous adjustment options for driver and passenger. It also includes improved filtering utilizing ionization, and an "active perfuming system," as part of its "air-balance" package, to individually customize the smell of the vehicle interior - finally making those pine tree car fresheners obsolete.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class

Mercedes-Benz releases stunning first images of 2014 S-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands on with Mercedes-Benz mBrace2

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury, Infotainment

Following Dr. Z's keynote here at CES, Mercedes-Benz showed off the latest iteration of its telematics and infotainment system, mBrace2.

The system simply expands and enhances what M-B's system has been doing for the last few years, integrating Facebook, Google Point of Interest searches and now Google Street View into the current COMAND interface.

There's a full-scale browser controlled by the central COMAND knob, but as you can see in the video after the jump, a combination of spotty data access (the CES show floor needs its own spectrum) and some oddly chosen user interface decisions makes for a rather clunky experience.

Data issues aside, the biggest problem is using the outmoded concept of a pointer to select things on the screen. That's fine for PCs, but using a five-way controller to pan and click around a page is infuriatingly frustrating. Here's hoping M-B irons out the kinks before mBrace2 arrives on the all-new SL and the rest of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz lineup.

Continue reading Hands on with Mercedes-Benz mBrace2

Hands on with Mercedes-Benz mBrace2 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz previews its CES plans

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Infotainment

Mercedes-Benz is gearing up for its first showing at CES, and in addition to building a sizable booth to highlight its range of new and updated products, M-B head Dr. Dieter Zetsche will be keynoting the event on Tuesday.

We expect Zetsche to detail the automaker's plans for its infotainment systems going forward, including a comprehensive update of COMAND and new connected and app-driven features.

On the floor, Mercedes will be showing off mbrace2, it's revamped communications and connectivity platform, which will include new safety features, speech recognition, traffic and navigation information, vehicle care and personal assistance functionalities, along with a new concierge service and internet browsing. A complimentary smartphone app will link up with the system, allowing drivers to lock and unlock their vehicles, set up geo-fence alerts and include a new social functionality dubbed Send2Benz.

Additionally, Mercedes will preview its new DriveStyle iPhone app that integrates much of the phone's functionality into the central display to limit driver distraction, along with new safety systems, both of which will debut later this year.

We'll be on the floor getting hands-on with all of it it less than a week, but until then get the full details in the press blast after the jump.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz previews its CES plans

Mercedes-Benz previews its CES plans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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