Mercedes infotainment system gets the personal touch

Mercedes-Benz is adding new personalised features to the on-board interactive MBUX multi-media infotainment system in its vehicles.

They’re available in Mercedes in selected European countries, Brazil, and some Asian countries including China from April this year.

The system, activated by the command Hey Mercedes which puts drivers and passengers in touch with a female-voiced guide, will adopt a more personal connection with drivers, addressing them as “you” in many languages.

Mercedes says the informal interaction will help strengthen “the emotional tie between the customer and their Mercedes, with MBUX (acting) as a personal assistant.”

New entertainment features added to MBUX include weather reports for specific regions read out in virtually any language.

People going skiing can ask Hey Mercedes for details of the depth of snow on the mountain and in the valleys of the ski resort they’re travelling to. It will also give them details of how many lifts there are at the resort and how many are operating.

And if vehicle occupants are horoscope fans, they can ask Hey Mercedes for a horoscope for their birth sign, and be told what’s in their stars for the day.

MBUX can now also act as quizmaster to keep passengers and children entertained and alert, chairing a quiz about capital cities of the world.

The quiz and horoscopes are available only in German and British English.