When you think of cars which are luxurious and offer a premium experience, Mercedes-Benz is almost certainly a name which will come to mind. The German manufacturer is synonymous with class, but retains a healthy dose of cool alongside.
We've recently tested a duo of Mercedes AMG models, which prove that style and grace don't have to mean the the death of all-out hooliganism. Just look at the GT63 model we tried – comfort and a pretty face hide a performance monster that will take you from 0-62mph in under three seconds.
That one is a similar size to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The E-class has been a staple of the range for years now, and the brand has just released some details about the updated range for this year.
Without question, the most intriguing addition is a selfie camera in the dashboard. This allows users to utilise a suite of apps and record themselves in the process. From launch, TikTok, Zoom and WebEx will be usable, along with the Vivaldi browser, the Pocket Casts podcast app, and – rather bizarrely – Angry Birds. We're not sure, either.
It's an intriguing idea. The E-Class has always been appealing to white-collar users, and I can certainly see the appeal of being able to pull over mid journey to hop on a Zoom call.
The TikTok integration seems a little more unusual. Presuming it can't be used while driving, I'm not certain what benefit the in-car camera would have over just using a phone. But hey, who am I to judge?
Elsewhere, the range is packed with a host of cool features to propel it into 2023. 50% of the new models are hybrids, with a 17kW battery on-board.
You'll also find the kind of spacious, luxurious interior that the range is well known for. In the front, the MBUX Superscreen is present and correct in the centre of the dashboard, with an optional passenger screen which extends right up to it.
The MBUX experience has also been upgraded. Mercedes say it's now "more software-driven and less hardware-driven," with multiple functions now taking place on a single processor. That should improve the performance and speed on offer.
