German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has announced that it is rolling out one of the best EQS and EQE features to other cars via an over-the-air (OTA) update.
Mercedes-Benzsays that drivers of the C‑Class (series 206; built from March to June 2021) and S‑Class (series 223 including Maybach; built between June to November 2021) can now get its Zero Layer interface installed onto their cars' MBUX infotainment system. And what’s more, they don’t have to go anywhere to do it.
Magnus Östberg, Chief Software Officer, Mercedes‑Benz AG, said viapress releasethat offering OTA updates is part of continuing to optimise the performance of systems and adding new features. It’s been doing OTA updates for a decade, and this latest one is all about bringing some of that EQS and EQE magic to existing vehicles.
The Zero Layer software is designed to offer drivers a clear and easy-to-use infotainment system that starts out with a large map view with individual tiles that can be selected. The idea is to remove the need to dive into sub-menus to get at features, something some Mercedes-Benz cars have fallen foul of before.
Zero Layer also learns how drivers use it, tailoring itself to specific use cases. One example the carmaker shares is when someone drives home after work and always places the same phone call on the way. In that example, the software will learn that behaviour and then offer to make that call at the same time every day. It’s a bit like Siri for your car and promises to help make it easier to stay focused on the road while still benefiting from advanced in-car features.
As for the Zero Layer update installation, Mercedes-Benz says that drivers who have an active Mercedes me account will receive a notification on their phone when the update is ready to be installed. Those who don’t have an account will instead receive a letter in the mail, the company says.
