Mercedes-Benz to offer point-to-point assisted driving in Germany from 2027, a first for the country
Mercedes-Benz will sell MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO, a hands-on SAE Level 2 system that assists along the whole navigation route including city streets, in Germany from the first half of 2027.
- 27
- 10
- 254 TOPS
- First half of 2027
What Happened
MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO is the Mercedes-Benz system developed together with NVIDIA for extended urban partially automated driving at SAE Level 2, and it is due to be orderable in Germany from the first half of 2027. It supports drivers from start to destination and is meant to make everyday driving, including complex city traffic, considerably more comfortable. Existing customers whose vehicles have the appropriate equipment can install the function through an over-the-air update. Mercedes-Benz says it will be the first carmaker to offer such a system in Germany in addition to China and the USA; availability is model-dependent and will be rolled out across the entire Mercedes-Benz passenger car and van portfolio, with further details announced before each market launch.
Planned early-access start in Stuttgart and Munich for selected customers whose vehicles already have the necessary hardware and who are contacted separately; the system is unlocked in advance via an over-the-air update.
MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO becomes orderable in Germany.
A free one-month trial is planned so customers with the required equipment can test the function without obligation.
- Leaving the motorway as part of the navigation route
- Driving through dense city traffic
- Changing lanes and merging into the correct lane
- Turning at junctions
- Braking and pulling away at traffic lights
- Switched on by a button on the steering wheel when Mercedes-Benz navigation is active
The system uses 27 sensors: ten cameras, five radar sensors and twelve ultrasonic sensors. Their raw data goes to a high-performance computer that can process up to 254 TOPS. MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO combines the Mercedes-Benz MB.OS operating system with NVIDIA's Hyperion in-vehicle computing and sensor architecture, the Halos full-stack safety system and the Alpamayo Stack software. It uses a cooperative hands-on steering concept that lets the driver give steering input at any time, and as an SAE Level 2 system it requires the driver's continuous attention, with control of and responsibility for the vehicle always remaining with the driver.
A UNECE working group for automated, autonomous and connected vehicles previously adopted the new UN R171 regulation, which sets out provisions for approving vehicles with Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS) as well as strict safety requirements. Mercedes-Benz welcomes this high standard, saying the harmonised regulatory framework provides a solid basis for the regulated and therefore safe introduction of extended assistance functions. The company adds that the framework opens the possibility of offering these technologies to customers in further markets, so the function could in future be introduced in all EU markets without a further regulatory approval.
“MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO offers our customers a new level of safety, intelligence and trust at the wheel. The introduction in Germany underlines our ambition to take a leading role in automated and assisted driving.”
“Safe autonomous driving requires intelligence to master complex city roads and a world in constant motion. Mercedes-Benz has shaped the automobile for generations, and together we are shaping its future. We combine the outstanding engineering and high safety standards of Mercedes-Benz with NVIDIA Hyperion to make the next generation of intelligent driving accessible to more people.”
Why this matters
Selected drivers in Stuttgart and Munich get the system from the end of 2026, and all German buyers with the right hardware can order it from the first half of 2027, with a free one-month trial after launch. Because it is approved under the new UN R171 rules for driver control assistance systems, Mercedes says it could later be introduced across all EU markets without a further regulatory approval.
Terms in This Story
- SAE Level 2
- A level of driving automation in which the vehicle can assist with steering and speed, but the driver must stay attentive and remains responsible for the vehicle at all times.
- DCAS (UN R171)
- Driver Control Assistance Systems: a United Nations regulation setting approval provisions and strict safety requirements for vehicles equipped with driver assistance systems.
- Over-the-air (OTA) update
- A software update sent wirelessly to a vehicle, so new functions can be added without visiting a workshop.
- TOPS
- Trillions of operations per second, a unit used to describe how much computing a processor can carry out.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.