The MBUX Superscreen Package is thoroughly immersive
The MBUX Superscreen package is an option many buyers will feel compelled to tick. An enormous glass screen spans between the A-pillars, housing a 12.3” passenger display alongside the standard 14.4” central display. Upgrades to the proprietary MBUX software bring fun little touches like digital manipulation of the air vents, but also make the overall system more intuitive and customizable from a UI perspective. (For example, the car will now recognize the color of the apps on your mobile device and match those, enabling faster recognition.)
The passenger screen, however, is the hero of the Superscreen package. Cleverly designed to dim when the car is in motion — mitigating driver distraction — the array of entertainment offerings are robust. MBUX’s system now allows third-party apps to run. Initial app integrations include TikTok, Zoom video conferencing, Vivaldi web browsing and Zync for streaming and on-demand content. Expect a slew of additions in the coming months, too.
This screen, which only active when the passenger seat detects an occupant — otherwise it’s effectively used as a decorative digital photo display — is a heap of fun. I bopped around the Zync app, sampling movies, live TV news and more, all without bothering the driver. While Mercedes claims copilots can enjoy the entertainment without the need for headphones, an included wireless over-the-ear set completely blocked out the car’s radio, leaving me to enjoy The Dark Knight in private aural bliss.
It’s not all play and no work inside the E-Class, however. An included selfie camera, mounted in the center of the dash, works for the driver when parked — meaning Zoom or other virtual video conferences are feasible from the side of any road. A test run between two E450s highlighted the hyper-clarity of the screen’s resolution, and an included whiteboard section of the app means you can send notes, scribbles, or sillier missives with a casual finger drag on the central screen.
For passengers, that camera can also be used in motion. While barreling down an Austrian highway, we messed around with snapping goofy TikTok videos, regular selfies, even filtering the images captured. Is the ability to recreate Carpool Karaoke necessary? Nope. Will you do just that at some point anyway? Yep.
Couple this mega screen with the Active Ambient Lighting with Sound Visualization) and a continuous lightstrip from the doors through the dash will augment your content experience in real-time. Gentle music or audio is represented by calm, tranquil lighting rhythms; pop on Warren G’s “Regulate,” and be treated to a high-pulse, beat-backed light show that feels ripped from a concert venue.
I do have the most minor of quibbles about the passenger screen, however. The rearward angling of the screen can sometimes lead to a bit of glare and wash out your content under heavy sun. Then again, that’s common to many such glass panels.
The E-Class uses A.I. to anticipate your wants and needs
The aim here, as per Mercedes, was to create a car that learns your personal habits and can facilitate your desires — sometimes without being prompted. Three routine options are offered with the 2024 E450: templates are basic, easily customizable routines; you could hop in and say “Kids mode,” and the car switches to fun and dynamic lighting while also firing up a playlist of your offspring’s favorite hits.
Self-created routines are also available. Here, for example, you could create a program entitled “Bad Day,” wherein after you utter those words to the infotainment system, the car’s Energizing Comfort mode would deliver a soothing aromatic scent and a hot, relaxing seat massage while blasting your favorite Fuel song — and when that’s finished, it calls your partner so you can vent.
Lastly, Mercedes’s foray into in-car A.I. sees the E450 trying to detect and fully automate repeated patterns. Maybe you always drive past the same water treatment plant on your way to work, and have to roll the windows up. By tapping into the GPS and learning your behavior, your windows can automatically go up when you pass a certain waypoint. Or, if you stop at a particular coffee shop daily, the car can recognize this and lower your windows and quiet the music as you pull into the drive-thru.
