Mercedes-Benz uses some of the biggest in-car screens in the world in several of its vehicles, but its design boss is now saying that isn’t where true luxury lies. Gordon Wagener, the chief design officer at Mercedes, says luxury shouldn’t revolve around the size of a car’s infotainment screen.
In a wide-spanning interview with ABC News, Wagener admitted that “screens are not luxury” despite MB’s emphasis on its 56-inch triple-display in cars like the EQS sedan and SUV. Here’s what else he said:
You have a better — and bigger — TV at home, right? And every car has a big screen. So we have to create luxury beyond the screen. That’s why I talk about craftsmanship and sophistication. There’s so much emphasis on making [Mercedes] vehicles better.
He added that the company doesn’t have its flagship MBUX Hyperscreen in all cars right now, just a few, saying that the hardware is good but the software definitely needs work because “when you have a big screen, you want to have great content on it.” He continued, saying that the automaker is working on content that is more specific and entertaining for passengers than what is currently offered.
If you’re screen agnostic – which you probably are since you read Jalopnik – this will certainly come as a bit of good news. Mercedes knows its screens and implementation needs work, but don’t get too excited just yet. I cannot imagine they’re going anywhere, especially as consumers because more and more tech-savvy. I know you want your knobs and buttons, but that’s just not what you’re going to find in flagship Mercedes vehicles.
AI is helping Merceds-Benz design cars
In some other disappointing news for some (including myself), when asked about artificial intelligence, Wagener said the German automaker is trying to implement it when designing cars. However, it does sound like it’s very early days for the process, and the company is being careful. Here’s more from ABC News:
We work with AI now. You get 99% of crap with AI and sheer quantity. That’s the biggest problem — sorting out the good stuff from the bad. But you get 1% good stuff and we keep learning. It’s getting better every day.
AI will drastically change the way we design. I think in 10 years maybe most of design will be done by AI and it will make designers obsolete. My successor will be a machine and will be much cheaper than my salary [laughs].
BOOOOOOOOOOOO
Anyway, you all know my stance on screens. They’re really not as bad or distracting as you Luddites make them out to be. Is 56 inches worth of screens a bit excessive? Maybe, but that’s just the way it is. At least automakers like Mercedes-Benz are trying to figure out ways to make them a bit nicer.
