Top 7 New S-Class Technologies Coming to a Car Near You

By Jonathon Klein - June 3, 2015

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It’s that time yet again folks, the time we talk about the new technologies on the Mercedes S-Class that will slowly trickle down to almost every other car within the next 5-10 years. It’s been a running theme with the Mercedes S-Class for years now that any new technology, new safety feature, new way of building, which Mercedes uses in the construction of the new S-Class, will then trickle down to everyone else’s passenger cars.

Think of the lane departure warnings, the drowsy meter, night vision cameras, adaptive headlights, seatbelts, and airbags. You name it, it started on the S-Class. And while this new S-Class isn’t as full of technology as other previous generations have been, it’s no less astonishing.

7. Let’s start off with responding to danger. Mercedes new Intelligent Drive uses 360 degree cameras to “spot hazards in your path. A team of standard and optional systems can alert the driver, assist in braking, and even respond autonomously to help avoid collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians.” Essentially, the system looks around the whole car, and then uses that information either to avert an accident, or alert the driver of something that could be potentially dangerous. It’s also paired with the car’s thermal vision, which is totally cool. Or rather warm.

6. Another safety feature is PRE-Safe, and it’s essentially a pedestrian recognition software that helps warn the driver of pedestrians and objects in front of you. It will also apply the brakes without your input, if need be.

5. One cool feature that will most likely come to supercars and sportscars first is crosswind stabilization. Essentially the system compensates for strong winds to smooth out the ride.

4. A feature that I’m surprised hasn’t come to more cars yet is active aighting. Active lighting technology deals with your headlights. It can sense a car in front of you and change the brightness of the headlights, so that when nothing is there, the lights are brighter. Active lighting also responds to steering input with small motors inside the headlights to adapt to turns for better visibility.

3. Something that’s already starting to trickle down is active parking assist. With this latest generation of S-Class, Mercedes has improved the technology by allowing it to find a spot that you can fit in, and then steering itself.

2. One more for safety and convenience is the Magic Vision Control. While it may sound a bit hokey, the tech is anything but. Magic Vision Control uses an integrated wiper and washer to spray water directly in front of the wiper, allowing the driver to maintain vision clarity when attempting to wash the windows.

1. Lastly, although this could go on forever, you have collision prevention. While again, this technology is starting to trickle down, no one does it better than Mercedes, and they indeed were the pioneers in this technology. Mercedes collision prevention goes beyond just stopping the car before it hits something. It also is part of the active lane assist and active cruise control, which essentially allows you to take your hands and feet off the pedal and steering wheel and relax a bit. It’s as close to a driverless car as you can buy right now.

Who know what’s next for the S-Class, maybe it will fly? Maybe you won’t need to be in the front seat at all? Only time will tell, until then though, let’s just take a moment to marvel at the brilliance that is the S-Class.