- The system will be added to C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, CLE, EQE, EQS, EQE SUV, and EQS SUV models.
- Mercedes-Benz pairs its Automatic Lane Change function with the Active Distance Assist Distronic cruise control system.
- The company is keen to highlight this is only a Level 2 driver-assistance system.
Roughly 200,000 Mercedes-Benz models already on the roads in Europe will soon get a new Automatic Lane Change (ALC) function through an over-the-air software update.
The new function has been added to the Driving Assistance Plus Package Mercedes-Benz is offering across 33 European countries and will come as standard on models equipped with this system. From September, the 200,000 eligible vehicles already in customers’ hands will get an update through the car’s in-built mobile phone connection. The update can be initiated through the MBUX infotainment system or the Mercedes me smartphone application.
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Mercedes-Benz’s ALC function will work on C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, GLC, CLE, EQE, EQS, EQE SUV, and EQS SUV models. All current E-Class, CLE Coupe, and CLE Cabriolet models can be updated seamlessly, while C-Class, S-Class, GLC, EQE, and EQS models built from January 2023 are eligible.
Automatic lane change systems are slowly becoming more common across the industry. The German brand already offers the system in North America and China. It works when the Active Distance Assist Distronic cruise control function is enabled and uses radar sensors and cameras to monitor the car’s surroundings.
When it’s safe, the system will overtake slower-moving cars on the motorway and then automatically return to its original lane. The function works at speeds between 80 km/h (50 mph) and 140 km/h (87 mph) in Europe, and motorways must have at least two separate lanes for it to work. Mercedes-Benz describes this as a Level 2 system, meaning the driver remains responsible at all times.
“With the Automatic Lane Change function, Mercedes-Benz is once again demonstrating its innovative strength in the development of new driving assistance systems,” Mercedes-Benz member of the board of management Markus Schäfer said. “We simultaneously developed the Automatic Lane Change function, or ALC for short, in North America, Europe and China for our local customers. With ALC, Mercedes-Benz is offering a driving function as an over-the-air update for the first time.”
