Mercedes-Benz unveiled the interior of the 2024 E-Class, and while the cabin doesn’t represent a radical departure in design from existing Benzen, the new E-Class is packed with interesting and advanced features that will influence the rest of the range – like a selfie -Camera and built-in apps for TikTok and Zoom.
One of the most important upgrades in the 2024 E-Class is the Superscreen, which combines the large standard central touchscreen with a second display in front of the passenger. (Unlike the EQS’ hyperscreen, the digital instrument cluster remains a standalone display.) It looks beautiful, with slim air vents curving around the top of the screen and a row of touch-capacitive buttons nested below the center display.
The new E-Class is packed with interesting and advanced features that will influence the rest of the range
The high-end Mercedes-Benz models such as the S-Class and the EQS typically showcase the brand’s most modern technology. But as the brand’s best-selling model range, the relatively modest E-Class is arguably even more important, and the next generation is coming later this year.
The rest of the cabin is broadly similar to what we’ve seen from other new Mercedes models, with a large center console, floating armrests on the door panels, and tons of ambient lighting, including a long strip encircling the entire dashboard. There are new leather color and wood trim options like open-pore wood with a backlit Mercedes star pattern, and even base models have more premium finishes.
The Superscreen and its MBUX infotainment system are powered by a central computer with a single processor, while previous models used multiple processors for different functions. Mercedes says its new software-focused architecture allows for much faster data streams and more advanced updates. An available Entertainment Plus package adds 5G connection and other connected services. The icon and menu design has been simplified to look more like smartphone tiles, and users can customize more features of the display.
The 2024 E-Class comes standard with a Burmester 4D surround sound system with 17 speakers and transducers on the front seats and features Dolby Atmos technology as well as spatial audio support via Apple Music. The sound experience is enhanced by the sound visualization of the optional active ambient lighting developed by Mercedes. The inner light strips pulse and change to the beat of the music you’re listening to, with the software analyzing bass, midrange and treble without delay.
Streaming of video content is available on the passenger screen and, depending on regulations, could be allowed on the center screen in the future when Mercedes’ Level 3 Drive Pilot system is activated. What will be available when the new E-Class launches are third-party apps that don’t require smartphone mirroring via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Depending on how the car is equipped, a selfie and video camera is mounted either in the instrument display or on top of the dashboard, and the E-Class will offer both Zoom and Webex by Cisco video conferencing, the Vivaldi web browser and even TikTok. Also part of the E-Class tech suite at launch is the Zync Portal, which includes over 30 different streaming services that span live sports, news, games, and other content.
The E-Class features Dolby Atmos technology and supports spatial audio via Apple Music
Touchscreens are becoming increasingly popular in new cars and are proven to be more distracting than traditional buttons. A recent Swedish study found that drivers of modern cars took up to four times longer to complete normal tasks than in a 17-year-old Volvo.
Mercedes has installed several safeguards to ensure E-Class drivers are not distracted by the passenger’s screen. The screen’s touch function is only activated when the sensors in the front passenger seat detect an occupant; Otherwise, it acts as a screen saver. Dual Light Control technology acts as a ‘privacy screen’, making the passenger screen invisible to the driver depending on what type of content is being viewed. This selfie camera tracks the driver’s eye movements and takes into account how often and how long the driver looks at the passenger screen. The car can also automatically dim the passenger screen to make it less distracting to the driver while still being visible to the passenger.
An improved AI assistant also helps reduce distractions from the huge screens and complex functions. MBUX software no longer requires you to say “Hey Mercedes” before giving voice commands – instead, a new “Just Talk” feature is indicated by a red microphone icon on the display, allowing drivers to more easily give commands for things like navigation can and air conditioning. Multiple commands can now be linked together by saying “and”. Owners can create new routines for the car, e.g. B. turning on the heated seats and changing the color of the ambient lighting to orange when the cabin temperature is below 50 degrees, or automatically lowering the driver’s window if you arrive at work at the same time every day.
The E-Class offers video conferencing with Zoom and Webex by Cisco, the web browser Vivaldi and even TikTok
The E-Class will also have a number of preset templates, like one for “Date Night” which plays romantic music and turns the lighting pink, and in the future the E-Class will be able to automatically generate its own routines for regularly used tasks with AI while the car learns your habits.
The new E-Class will be one of Mercedes’ last gas-powered cars, as the brand aims to be EV-only by 2030. It will ride on a modified version of the platform used by the C-Class and S-Class, with a range of hybridised four- and six-cylinder engines and possibly an all-electric variant. Exterior styling will be evolutionary, and while the wagon lives on, the E-Class coupe and cabriolet will be dropped in favor of a new two-door model likely to be called the CLE. Expect the 2024 E-Class to be fully unveiled in just a few months.
