Mercedes-Benz introduced their next-generation infotainment system called Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week. Touted as intuitive and intelligent, the new multimedia system will launch with the 2019 A-Class sedan later this year.
According to the German automaker, the MBUX infotainment system focuses on user experience. Equipped with artificial intelligence, the system is able to learn and learn and adapt to the preferences of the user. The interaction between vehicle, driver and passengers creates an emotional connection as MBUX becomes an intuitive personal assistant that makes the users' lives simpler.
MBUX comes with prediction features, wherein the infotainment system is able to anticipate the actions of the user. For example, users who call their mothers every Tuesday will begin to see her telephone number as a suggestion on the display on this day while users who tune into a radio station at a certain time daily will receive a suggestion at that time of the day.
Moreover, MBUX is able to detect when the user is heading toward frequently driven routes and displays the destination on the navigation screen. The system also remembers preferred settings for other features such as ambience lighting and seating position.
All users have to do is confirm the suggestions and the infotainment system will immediately carry out the suggestions.
Mercedes-Benz's next-generation infotainment system utilizes a widescreen cockpit design with three different configurations: two 7-inch displays, one 7-inch display and one 10.25-inch display, and two 10.25-inch displays. Users can control the multimedia system through the touchscreen, the touch-control buttons on the steering wheel and the touchpad on the center console.
MBUX also features intelligent voice control which is activated when the user says, "Hey Mercedes." The system recognizes all commands and can also interpret indirect speech. For example, users can say "I am cold" instead of "Temperature to 24 degrees" to adjust climate control.
In terms of technical specifications, MBUX is powered by a six-core central processing unit (CPU) and two NVIDIA graphics chips with 8 GB of random-access memory (RAM).
Mercedes-Benz's MBUX infotainment system will launch with the 2019 A-Class in late 2018. Production of the upcoming entry-level sedan begins this spring.
