Tech Highlight: MBUX

Mercedes-Benz has always been at the forefront of technology. To start, Mercedes is credited with the first automobile. After that, they are credited with a number of new technological advances such as anti-lock brakes, airbags, crumple zones, and even stability control.

Safety tech is not all that Mercedes invents, however. They have been first to market with many other features that have long since been implemented into every vehicle sold today.
The current feature that Mercedes-Benz has debuted that absolutely takes the market by storm is MBUX, or Mercedes-Benz User Experience. 

What Is It? 

MBUX is Mercedes-Benz's newest iteration of their infotainment system. The system includes updated hardware (screens, wiring, circuit boards, etc) and software (operating system) to create the most modern infotainment system available. 

Infotainment systems refer to the systems that the passengers interact with to control the radio, sound system, navigation, system settings, car settings, and everything in between. They started life as an upgraded entertainment system, placing a screen in the center of the dash to replace the radio controls, and have slowly evolved into the complicated systems they are today.

Mercedes-Benz’s system is the new iteration of their infotainment system that has been evolving since the early LED radio screens. 

What Makes It Different? 

So what makes MBUX so much better than the other systems available today? To start, the hardware. The actual components Mercedes uses in their system are top-notch quality. The screens have excellent resolution and ultra-high refresh rates. The technology and screen quality are on par with, if not superior to, many other screens used in our phones.

Mercedes was also not afraid to spend some money developing the system to work as seamlessly as possible. They spent years working out every bug to ensure the system never crashes, and you, as the user, never see any system failures. No lagging, no skipping, and ultra-fast response times. 

Special Features

The special features are where MBUX really stands out. To start, the entire system is one giant screen. Most modern cars have two separate screens, one in the center council, and one in the gauge cluster. Mercedes took those two screens and shoved them together to create one continuous screen, called the Widescreen Cockpit, across the driver's side of the dash. 

But trust me, there are loads of even cooler features. The system uses artificial intelligence to “learn” the user. It can be individualized and “remembers” to adapt to best suit the user's needs. It remembers the way that you use the system, and creates shortcut pathways to make your user experience as easy as possible. 

The system also automatically updates “over the air”. Which means it connects remotely to Mercedes-Benz central system. No more taking the car into the dealer and waiting for hours while the system updates. 

The system also has several ways to interact with it. The screen is, of course, a touchscreen, and follows your fingers commands seamlessly, but it also uses other input devices to control the screen. A touchpad in the center council can highlight, click, and move throughout menu options, and can also be written on with the finger to input address, contact info, and more. There is also steering wheel controls that are tactile finger sensing pads that move seamlessly through the menu. 

Navigation has some special features too. There is Augmented Reality navigation, which is 3D map technology that puts the map in between buildings to give the driver a view that is as realistic and relatable as possible. 

Closing 

MBUX is by far the best system available today. The usability is simple and logical, the transitions are seamless and movement is flawless. When looking into a luxury vehicle, this feature alone would make me choose the Mercedes-Benz over any other choice. It’s enough to bring me up a class from an economy car to a Mercedes.