Motortrend: Night View Assist Test
Thread Starter
Almost a Member!
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: South Carolina
SLK300, GLK350, owned:C300, CLK 430, ML320 200D, 240D
Motortrend: Night View Assist Test
Nice read with a cool movie. They are driven a mountain pass with 48 hairpin bends at night without headlights on:
http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...est/index.html
http://www.motortrend.com/features/c...est/index.html
Last edited by Octane; Aug 5, 2009 at 10:46 AM.
Trending Topics
Senior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Germany
M-B GLE, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche Boxster (spouse)
It would be if the display were projected on the windshield...a heads-up-display (HUD).
As it is (except in this video where there were no outside visual cues by design), you need a passenger to monitor the night-view screen because no sane driver is going to take his eyes off the road long enough in low-visibility conditions to really focus on the screen.
The owner's manual, which tries to make this device as litigation proof as the lawyers believe possible, has so many usage disclaimers as to make it virtually impossible to use the night-vision assist's true capabilities when you need them most (and as designed).
There are no shortcomings in the device itself, only in the implementation...the data projection. And moving technologically forward to a heads-up-display would solve that problem and truly make this a world-class safety feature. Mercedes' low-light technology trumps rival BMW's but without a HUD, which BMW already has, the Mercedes technology can't realize it's full potential.
Note: I know a thing or two about using HUDs...I'm a USAF F-16 pilot and we are able to do the job of two pilots in many other fighters in part because of a HUD which allows us to keep our eyes out of the cockpit while still having instant access to the most critical information.
As it is (except in this video where there were no outside visual cues by design), you need a passenger to monitor the night-view screen because no sane driver is going to take his eyes off the road long enough in low-visibility conditions to really focus on the screen.
The owner's manual, which tries to make this device as litigation proof as the lawyers believe possible, has so many usage disclaimers as to make it virtually impossible to use the night-vision assist's true capabilities when you need them most (and as designed).
There are no shortcomings in the device itself, only in the implementation...the data projection. And moving technologically forward to a heads-up-display would solve that problem and truly make this a world-class safety feature. Mercedes' low-light technology trumps rival BMW's but without a HUD, which BMW already has, the Mercedes technology can't realize it's full potential.
Note: I know a thing or two about using HUDs...I'm a USAF F-16 pilot and we are able to do the job of two pilots in many other fighters in part because of a HUD which allows us to keep our eyes out of the cockpit while still having instant access to the most critical information.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
