Series production of the 2018 W222 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift, which premiered at Auto Shanghai in April, has begun at the automaker’s Sindelfingen plant in Germany.
To mark the occasion, a pilot test for the car – which will make its market debut in July – was carried out, in which the car drove itself off the production line. An S 560 4Matic finished in Obsidian Black metallic drove independently off the final assembly line, without a driver at the wheel, and travelled around 1.5 kilometres by itself to the loading area within the plant.
The mule was equipped with additional equipment on the driver’s side roof area (as can be seen in the video), but essentially travesrsed the route with the aid of the car’s cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar, working with newly-developed and powerful software, which helped accelerate and brake the S-Class independently around the tight confines of the production floor.
The pilot programme will explore the possible use of the system for series production use and its potential to replace the current system of using production staff to move cars from the assembly halls to the loading car parks, where a shuttle service is needed to then bring personnel back to their starting point.
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Mercedes Benz is a luxury car that happens to be high-tech.
Continuing to do what it does best.
Marketing gimmick
Betul-Betul Onz
Nobody beats the tag line Betul Betul Onz!
when mercedes produce flying cars in the next 100 years, p1 p2 will only start making automated driving cars.
Why compare luxury and mass cars?
Bcoz bashers have nothing better to do today…
Bcoz p1 bmw of asia…
Slow day, huh?
TakNak bailout p1 the next 100 years.
bailout for sure the next 100 years.
Janji rear axle tetap intact
We need autonomous aids in our cars in the future but I hope there will never be any production flying cars. Just imagine the maintenance costs as well as the number of people dying from irresponsible flying and crashing onto people, a good population control machine if you ask me.
In less than 100 years, autonomous cars will be the norm but flying cars will never truly see the light of day.
Aircond vents look so 70’s
It’s Mercedes retro-futurism meh, it’s the way of future. You can argue because…it’s Mercedes
If like this they are going backward not moving forward
Youngsters like futuristic designs.
If I only can choose between a Countryman and an NX, which one will I choose?
Between a Beetle and a Camry?
If it is not retro design, it must be elegant to reflect its symbol of status.
Automatic driving spells the end of Toyota, VW, Ford and those companies that relies on volume. Less car will be sold as people will just call a driver-less car and it appears at our doorstep. With no human, it means less overhead and problems, means cheaper rides. Maybe it will be cheaper to rent a car than to own one. Now, every house owns 2 or 3 cars, in the future, 1 car will be the norm, for some, no cars at all.
Mercedes is showcasing the future of automobile. By then, most of us here are living in another world where we don’t need an automobile or CASH.
Eventually MBB will return to its core of making carriage aka driverless vehicle.
The most important thing for large prestigeous luxurious saloon is comfort at the rear seats.
Make the two passengers at the back feel relaxed and happy at the back, sleep comfortably if they want to.
To the extreme, make it a 3 + 1 seat, the ‘1’ being the front passenger ‘spare’ seat, if you are unwilling to extend the wheelbase further.
No need to focus 90% of your resources in making the driver happy. Keep him alert 101% all the time is even better.
Any driving aids must translate into real safety end points.
As an example, I prefer 20 ultrasafe airbags over autonomous gadget, if I only can have one choice.