QUICK LOOK: New Mercedes-Benz COMAND touchpad

The Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell debut in Frankfurt provided a view of some new cues that look likely to make their way on to the W205 C-Class and GLC facelifts. These include a larger 10.25-inch central display residing above the central air-conditioning vents.

The car also features a new multi-function touchpad to handle COMAND system duties. Having ditched the rotary knob, it’s flatter and has a larger surface area than the current unit. It comes equipped with handwriting recognition as well as single- or multi-finger gestures.

We managed to briefly try out the unit on the display vehicle at the show, and operation aspects of the new pad look to be far superior through the short sampling – movement is smoother, and tracking levels are good. The surface offers far better contact presence, translating to more accurate transcription.

Likewise the COMAND interface on the display, similar in vein to that on the E-Class, which has good legibility and looks much cleaner to sight. In all, the combination has a more intuitive feel about it, as can be seen from the short clip.

Other fresh bits are a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, a new engine start button that looks identical to the one in the E-Class as well as a new steering wheel design, which has Touch Control buttons on both sides of the steering wheel in the same vein as the S-Class facelift.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Look at the amount of buttons on the steering wheel!!

    Not crazy about the new graphics too.. the blue and red tones don’t look very Merc-like

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • CarLuv on Sep 14, 2017 at 7:51 am

    touch command? another digital distraction that keeps the driver’s eyes off the road. Its autonomous braking and lane keep assistance will come in handy

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Make it intuitive on Sep 14, 2017 at 8:43 am

    They should make it touchscreen

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • 4G63T DSM on Sep 14, 2017 at 8:52 am

    Whatever it is worth, I still think a rotary dial works better.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Nordin on Sep 14, 2017 at 9:52 am

    So many buttons here and there. When you drive at 110KM, how you going to navigate all those buttons and command system?

    BMW owners always accident whilst playing with their i-drive. 90% of the time, you eyes are not on the road, it is on the screen looking at the menu.

    how to navigate when you are driving 110km?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 5
    • Why you navigate when you are driving at 110km/h? Dont simply say something without knowledge or essence.

      Bmw drivers always accident while using i-drive? Any proof keyboard samurai?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 5
 

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