Riding shotgun next to Lukas Polster in a prototype Mercedes-Benz CLA-ClassI tried to keep up with his explanation of his company’s AI strategy. I was there to see how MB.Drive Assist Pro — Mercedes’ new urban-focused automated driving system — could handle San Francisco traffic, not just the freeways.
Polster, director of automated driving and assistance at Mercedes, said the system runs two artificial intelligence models in parallel. “This definitely helps with validation and helps us achieve our safety goals,” he said. Interesting enough, but I was feeling impatient. When will I see it in reality?
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Then he hit me. MB.Drive Assist Pro has been there all along. It was so smooth I didn’t even realize it.
Perhaps that’s because of their distinctive feature: they require drivers to keep their hands on the wheel at all times. But if they are willing to do so, keep their eyes on the road and prepare to intervene, the upcoming Mercedes-Benz could become a great “partner” for overcoming the dangers of city driving.
At the very least, this CLA seems to fit in well among San Francisco’s endless sea of Waymo robotaxis. “All part of the fun, right?” Polster said.
Maybe, but this is still something very new and very different.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro: what is it?
Hands-on training Automated driving features— Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), in technical parlance — have spread throughout the auto industry like wildfire in recent years. As long as the driver keeps his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road, the car can steer to stay in its lane on highways, slow down and stop in the event of a traffic jam, and even change lanes automatically.
The next step is hands-free highway driving, now offered by Tesla, GM, Ford and others, where drivers just need to watch the road and be ready to intervene. Beyond that it isTurning a blind eye“Level 3 autonomy, which Mercedes already technically offers – albeit in a very limited form.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photography: Patrick George
All of these systems share a major limitation: where they operate. Consumer ADAS has been largely limited to highways, or, at best, low-speed traffic jams. Everything else has been left to robotaxis like Waymo.
Historically, Tesla has been the only exception, providing advanced driver assistance systems for urban environments. Fully autonomous (supervised) driving could operate hands-free in cities and promises to navigate all the way to a programmed destination. However, as the name of the feature suggests, drivers must still be prepared to take charge. Despite notable progress – including recent progress Cross-country driving is completely completed with FSDThe system has drawn criticism and regulatory scrutiny over how it markets its capabilities.
Now Mercedes is preparing to enter that space with MB.Drive Assist Pro. The system promises “intuitive point-to-point urban driving” capable of navigating city traffic, intersections, roundabouts and parking maneuvers, and eventually finding its own parking spot.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro: how it works
In the CLA-Class, the system is powered by 10 cameras, five radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a powerful on-board computer from Nvidia. The AI models are trained using real-world data from Mercedes cars on the road right now as well as simulated models, and run multiple redundant algorithms simultaneously to make sure nothing is missed or misunderstood. The system will also get frequent over-the-air software updates to improve performance, perhaps every three months, Mercedes officials said.
The approach to hardware contrasts with other ADAS settings. The famous Tesla It just depends on the cameras and artificial intelligence for FSD. And Rivian will soon explore point-to-point urban driving Which will also include lidar. But Mercedes insists that it is this hardware, software and AI approach that can truly guarantee the safety of urban autonomy.
“There is no passenger car they can drive safely, unlike today’s Mercedes showroom,” said Ali Kani, who leads Nvidia’s automotive platform. “We’re doing something the entire industry has been trying to do for 10 years, and no one has done it before.”
Like Tesla and others, Mercedes’ use of AI means the MB.Drive Assist Pro doesn’t need to be “trained” for every road it drives — unlike self-driving vehicles in the 2000s, which essentially had to relearn how to drive in every city they ventured into. It also means that the system can learn over time, including its driver’s preferences.
But a big part of ensuring safety means keeping your hands on the wheel, and that may never change.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro: why it works, and why you want it
“I think we don’t see a good safety case for that in urban driving right now,” Polster said. “Once you take your hands off the wheel, you automatically get a long reaction time.”
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
However, it seemed a bit counter-intuitive to me. I’m generally a fan Ford Blue Cruze and General Motors Super Cruise. I don’t like to keep my hand on the wheel during long highway trips if I don’t have to. So, if I have to keep my hands on the wheel in the city, why not drive myself?
For this reason, Polster had an interesting answer: Have you ever driven in a completely new city for the first time? “It’s exhausting,” he said. “You’re trying to navigate and figure out what lane you need to be in to take the turn… It’s a little more convenient to supervise the system than to do it all yourself.”
I’m not sure I agree with that, because I find the emotional and mental energy needed to “supervise” an FSD in the city to be more taxing than driving the old-fashioned way. But on our short loop through San Francisco evening traffic, the CLA performed admirably.
Polster kept his hands on the wheel and the car did the rest, navigating three- and four-way stops and other traffic (including Waymo’s non-human kind) with ease. You can also step in to steer yourself without completely disconnecting the system, which Polster calls “cooperative” steering – something that also adapts to the user’s driving style.
“We want to give the more aggressive driver the opportunity to intervene if they need to, if things are going too slowly, or if they’re being too cautious,” Polster said. “You can always speed up or stay with the system, and it doesn’t penalize you for that.”
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photo by: Mercedes-Benz
Our CLA was tripped up a bit by a double-parked car, even if it could “read” another car’s lights to see if it was parked or waiting to move on. But in another case, it predicted where another oncoming car was trying to go at a busy intersection, then drove off when the road was clear. The CLA also yielded to pedestrians and e-bikes, and also took an unprotected left turn. Not bad at all.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro: Early and early judgement
It’s hard to make judgments without being behind the wheel myself. But Mercedes’ approach to urban autonomy looks promising, even in prototype form.
More people will be able to experience it starting this year. MB.Drive Assist Pro makes its debut on the CLA, but will be rolling out to more models soon. Pricing has not yet been announced, but it will be available with purchase or as a subscription feature.
Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive
Photography: Patrick George
Given that more sophisticated advanced driver assistance systems now rank among the most requested (and most subscribed to) features in new cars, Mercedes is certainly banking on the idea that many drivers will want to try them out. but This demand is primarily for hands-free highway systems. Can Mercedes convince buyers that this is the ideal way to handle city traffic?
“I think there is potential for a broad range of customers,” Polster said. “Our goal is for the system to be value-added. It should not just be for the person who wants to watch him do cool things. It should also bring comfort to driving.”
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
