I Tried Mercedes

Riding shotgun next to Lucas Bolster in a prototype Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, I tried to keep up as he explained his company’s artificial intelligence strategy. I was there to see how MB.Drive Assist Pro—Mercedes’ new urban-focused automated driving system—would handle San Francisco traffic, not just highways.

Bolster, Mercedes’ manager of automated and assisted driving, said the system runs two AI models in parallel. “That certainly helps with validation, and it helps us achieve our safety goals,” he said. Interesting enough, but I was getting impatient. When would I see it in action?

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Then it hit me. MB.Drive Assist Pro had been on the whole time. It was so seamless that I didn’t even realize it. 

Maybe that’s because of its signature feature: It requires drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times. But if they’re willing to do that, and keep their eyes on the road and be ready to intervene, then their next Mercedes-Benz could become a great “partner” for navigating the hazards of city driving. 

At the very least, this CLA seemed to fit in just fine amid San Francisco’s endless sea of Waymo robotaxis. “All part of the fun, right?” Bolster said. 

Maybe, but this is still something very new and very different. 

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes’ MB.Drive Assist Pro: What Is It?

Hands-on automated driving features—Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), in technical parlance—have spread across the auto industry like wildfire in recent years. So long as a driver keeps their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, the car can steer to stay in its lane on highways, slow and stop if a traffic jam arises, and even change lanes automatically. 

The next step is hands-free highway driving, now offered by Tesla, General Motors, Ford and others, where drivers only need to monitor the road and be ready to intervene. Beyond that is “eyes-off” Level 3 autonomy, which Mercedes technically already offers—albeit in a highly limited form.

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Patrick George

All of these systems share a major constraint: where they work. Consumer ADAS has largely been confined to highways or, at best, low-speed traffic jams. Everything else has been left to robotaxis like Waymo.

Tesla has historically been the lone exception, offering ADAS for urban environments. Its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) can operate hands-free in cities and promises to navigate all the way to a programmed destination. Though, as the feature’s name suggests, drivers must remain ready to take over. Despite notable progress—including a recent cross-country drive completed entirely with FSD—the system has drawn criticism and regulatory scrutiny over how its capabilities are marketed.

Now Mercedes is preparing to enter that space with MB.Drive Assist Pro. The system promises “intuitive urban point-to-point driving,” capable of handling city traffic, intersections, roundabouts, parking maneuvers and, eventually, finding its own parking spot.

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes’ MB.Drive Assist Pro: How It Works

On the CLA-Class, the system is powered by 10 cameras, five radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a powerful onboard computer from Nvidia. It is trained on AI models using real-world data from Mercedes’ cars on the road right now as well as simulated models, and it runs multiple redundant algorithms at once to make sure nothing was overlooked or misunderstood. The system will also get frequent over-the-air software updates to improve performance, perhaps quarterly, Mercedes officials said. 

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Photos by: Mercedes-Benz

The approach to hardware stands in contrast with other ADAS setups. Tesla, famously, relies solely on cameras and AI for FSD. And Rivian will soon explore urban point-to-point driving that will incorporate lidar as well. But Mercedes insists that this hardware, software and AI approach is one that can truly guarantee the safety of urban autonomy.

“There’s not a passenger car they can drive this safely, other than when Mercedes is showing today,” said Ali Kani, who leads Nvidia’s automotive platform. “We are doing something that the entire industry has been trying to do for 10 years, and no one has done it before.”

Like Tesla and others, Mercedes’ use of AI means that MB.Drive Assist Pro does not have to be “trained” on every single route it drives—unlike autonomous vehicles in the 2010s, which essentially had to relearn how to drive in every city they ventured into. It also means the system can learn over time, including what its own driver prefers. 

But a big part of ensuring safety means keeping your hands on the wheel—and that may never change. 

Mercedes’ MB.Drive Assist Pro: Why It’s Hands-On, And Why You Want It

“I think we don’t see a good safety case for that in urban driving right now,” Bolster said. “As soon as your hands are off the wheel, you automatically bring in a prolonged reaction time.” 

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Yet it seemed a bit counterintuitive to me. I’m generally a fan of Ford’s BlueCruise and General Motors’ Super Cruise. I don’t like having to keep my hands on the wheel during long, freeway road trips if I don’t have to. So if I have to keep my hands on the wheel in a city, why not just drive myself?

For this, Bolster had an interesting answer: Ever drive in a brand new city for the first time? “It’s stressful,” he said. “You’re trying to navigate and figure out which lane you need to be in to take which turn… It’s a little bit more relaxing to supervise the system than it is to do it all yourself.”

I’m not sure I agree, since I find the emotional and mental energy needed to “supervise” FSD in a city to be more taxing than driving the old-fashioned way. But on our short loop through San Francisco evening traffic, the CLA performed admirably.

Bolster kept his hands on the wheel and the car did the rest, navigating three- and four-way stops and other traffic (including of the non-human Waymo sort) with ease. You can also step in to steer yourself without fully disengaging the system, which Bolster calls “collaborative” steering—something that also adapts to the user’s driving style.

“We want to give a more aggressive driver the opportunity to just step in if they need, if it’s going too slowly, or if it’s acting too cautiously,” Bolster said. “You can always accelerate or stay with the system, and it doesn’t penalize you for that.”

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Our CLA got a little tripped up by a double-parked car, even if it can “read” another car’s lights to see if they’re parked or waiting to move forward. But in another instance, it predicted where another oncoming car was trying to go in a crowded intersection, and then drove off when it had a clear path. The CLA also yielded to pedestrians and e-bikes, and also navigated an unprotected left turn. Not bad at all. 

Mercedes’ MB.Drive Assist Pro: Early, Early Verdict

It’s hard to render judgment without being behind the wheel myself. But Mercedes’ approach to urban autonomy does seem promising, even in prototype form. 

A lot more people will be able to experience it starting this year. MB.Drive Assist Pro debuts on the CLA-Class, but will spread to more models soon. Its pricing has not been released yet, but it will be available at purchase or as a subscription feature.

Mercedes MB.Drive Assist Pro Prototype Drive

Photo by: Patrick George

Considering that more sophisticated ADAS now ranks among the most wanted (and most subscribed-to) features on new cars, Mercedes is certainly banking on the idea that many drivers will want to try it out. But that demand is primarily for hands-free highway systems. Can Mercedes convince its buyers that this is an ideal way to contend with city traffic? 

“I think there’s potential for a broad section of customers,” Bolster said. “Our objective is that the system would be a value-add. It shouldn’t just be for the person who wants to watch it do cool things. It should also bring comfort to the to the drive.”

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

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