The 2024 Mercedes E-Class is waving camouflage goodbye as the company has officially unveiled its all-new interior.
When the redesigned sedan arrives at dealerships later this year, it will be a radical departure as the model has been designed to deliver an “immersive entertainment experience” with music, games and streaming content.
While there’s a lot to talk about, the E-Class will be offered with an optional MBUX Superscreen that draws inspiration from the massive MBUX Hyperscreen. Mercedes didn’t go into specifics, but it features a sizable infotainment system as well as a display for the front passenger.
Also: 2024 Mercedes E-Class Spied Virtually Undisguised In AMG-Line Trim
They’re joined by a freestanding digital instrument cluster that offers Classic and Sporty displays. The Classic display shows a dial-like speedometer and tachometer, while the Sporty display adopts a red theme while also putting the tachometer front and center.
Speaking of screens, third-party apps can be installed directly instead of being mirrored via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. In order to take advantage of this capability, Mercedes is launching an App Store that will have a “gradually expanding portfolio of apps.”
At launch, there will be an assortment of apps including Angry Birds, TikTok, Zoom, and Webex. A handful of them can be used with the car’s new selfie and video camera, which is mounted on top of the dashboard and included with the MBUX Superscreen. Owners can use the camera to take photos and videos, when the car is in park.
Besides the aforementioned apps, owners will find the Vivaldi web browser as well as the ZYNC entertainment portal. Mercedes says the latter provides “on-demand content, interactive experiences, local video programs, sports, news and much more.” That’s vague, but the company added “more than 30 streaming services from well-known global, regional and local partners are already available, while further partners and channels are continually being integrated.”
To prevent the driver from being distracted by the front passenger display, the E-Class has a “visual shield” which uses a camera and an “advanced filtering concept to ensure the content on the screen is not visible to the driver.” In effect, the system monitors the driver’s eye movements and determines if they’re looking at the passenger screen for too long. If this occurs, the “brightness of the passenger screen is reduced and the passenger can therefore continue to view content, while it is not visible to the driver.” However, the shield can be switched on and off, so the safety benefits are defeatable.
While that’s not good, the E-Class is embracing routines and eyeing a future with artificial intelligence. At launch, the car will have templates and self-created routines that allow owners to tell the vehicle to ‘do x if y happens.’ As an example, a Cold Days setting could turn on the heated seats if the outside temperature hits a certain level while also changing the ambient lighting system to a ‘warm’ orange color.
In the future, the company wants to fully automate routine tasks with artificial intelligence. This will initially focus on heating, ventilation, and massage functions, but Mercedes said “other interior systems are to be successively integrated.” Hopefully it doesn’t echo Bing AI and try to convince you to leave your wife, because adding a massage on top of that would be extra creepy.
Putting the screens aside, the E-Class will offer an active ambient lighting system and a 17 speaker Burmester 4D surround sound system that will enable owners to “experience music with three senses.” Speaking of which, there are active light strips that respond to sound from music, movies, and apps. As an example, fast sequences can cause rapid light changes, while “flowing rhythms can create softly merging lighting moods.”
The light strip isn’t just for fun as Mercedes noted it can be used to convey safety information. In particular, it visualizes information from the parking assist system and can give visual warnings to ensure “extra safety when traversing intersections with cross traffic.”
Rounding out the tech features are Energizing Comfort and Energizing Coach functions as well as 5G technology for fast data transfers.
Mercedes didn’t say much about the rest of the interior, but we can see new steering wheels as well as a minimalist center console. Buyers will also find “numerous interior color combinations” ranging from “light beige combined with Space Grey, including a classy pearl effect, to the sophisticated, cinnamon-colored Tonka Brown and the cool and technical-looking grey.”
The company went on to say the E-Class will offer Nappa leather seats with diamond quilting as well as new Dark Ash open-pore wood trim that is backlit. If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, there will also be silver blended metal trim as well as the Manufaktur Piano Lacquer Flowing Lines trim from the S-Class.
