Next-Generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class To Have Advanced Autonomous Driving Abilities

The next generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class is due for an introduction in early 2016 and the German car maker says that the new car will feature even more advanced autonomous abilities than BMW’s flagship 7 Series and even its own S-Class as well.

Motoring.com.au reports after speaking to Mercedes-Benz research and development chief, Professor Doctor Thomas Weber, that further details about the level of sophistication of the car’s autonomous system will be revealed in the coming weeks, including the travel speed and off-steering wheel time.

Bloomberg recently had a go in the new E-Class and discovered that the autonomous driving system works on both highways and winding country roads, capable of getting up to speeds of 130 km/h with the autonomous emergency brake working at speeds up to 90 km/h to prevent rear-end collisions and at up to 65 km/h to avoid pedestrians.

Mercedes-Benz’s proprietary safety packages including Pre-Safe Brake, Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, and Stop & Go Pilot all receive development to make these improvements possible. The current S-Class features such technologies as well, allowing the car to drive on its own in traffic without driver input and steer around easy corners at a reduced speed up to 50 km/h and on highways with proper lane markings, the car is capable of high speed cruising all on its own.

When the next generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class makes its debut, the claimed tech supremacy over the flagship cars of both its rival and itself would mean superior tech can be had at a cheaper price, Weber claims.