2019-10-01_CAR_UK

32 CARMAGAZINE.CO.UK | OctOber 2019

Does it
work?

Tech

Augmented reality in

your new Mercedes

Satellite navigation works fine already, but Mercedes thinks its new

tech takes it to the next, futuristic, level. By Jake Groves

POKE ’N’ PROD

It’s better to use the glossy

touchscreen than the irksome

trackpad to key in your destination

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Futuristic floating blue arrows are your

main guide, though they’re a little slow

to react on roundabouts

HEY MERCEDES!

MBUX’s voice assistant can be

activated without pressing a button

and responds to natural speech

I

F YOu’RE THINKINg we’ve covered

Mercedes’ glitzy MBUX infotainment system

before, you’d be right. When it first came out,

we tried the much trumpeted new ‘natural

speech’ voice recognition system (September

2018). Something we mostly glossed over at the

time, however, is a curveball idea Mercedes has

added to the options list of many of its recent new

models: augmented-reality navigation.

In the A-Class hatchback, for example, the

technology is a £495 addition, bundled in with

traffic-sign recognition. In the massive new GLS

SUV, it’s part of a huge list of additional equipment

as part of the Premium Plus pack, costing you more

than £5000.

The idea behind the technology is to use the

front-facing camera normally reserved for parking

manoeuvres to run a continuous live feed when

approaching junctions or roundabouts, and project

an image to guide you.

For the most part, the MBUX navigation works

like any other system: a map, a plot point showing

where you are and a coloured direction laid out on

the roads ahead. Plot your destination by using the

touchscreen, or the finicky square trackpad that

has haptic feedback or, if you’re feeling chatty, say

‘Hi Mercedes’ to wake up the voice assistant.

Once you’re all set with a navigation route

planned, the central screen will show the main

VIRTu AL guIDANCE

H Ow I t wORKS

1

3

2

Sort of. The idea of augmented reality in cars

takes its first real step here, but there’s still work

to be done. While it works best with simple

junctions and big roundabouts, the UK’s

sometimes-complicated road network can

confuse the system, slowing its responses.

Does it work?

map and a junction guide to the left-hand side,

showing which roundabout exit to take or when

your turn is coming up. Cars with the augmented-

reality system will show this and activate the live

feed, with a fat blue chevron sitting at the bottom

edge launching forwards towards your junction,

hovering at the turn. If the navigation knows it, the

road number or street name will be displayed, too.

There are a couple of hitches. While the live

feed isn’t hugely distracting, it takes your eyes a

moment or two longer than is ideal to focus on

the display; not exactly great when you’re trying

to find your way around. Its usefulness is also

dependent on your driving position – the screen

can be partially blocked by the steering wheel if

you’re sat a certain way. The swooping animation

of the blue arrow also means it’s a little slow to

respond to exits on tight roundabouts or multiple

changes in direction at complicated junctions.

It’s an interesting technology development, but

it needs some work to be truly useful.