2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class to be autonomous-ready

Only hands-on laws are stopping the next Mercedes-Benz E-Class being a hands-off car on freeways.

Although production of the big Benz does not begin until next year, its maker is already talking up its advanced abilities.

"From a technological standpoint, we're upgrading Business Class to First Class," says Michael Hafner, the company's director of driver assistance systems and active safety.

Equipped with multiple cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors, plus a powerful computer, the E-Class will be able to automatically follow the vehicle ahead at any speed from standstill to 200km/h.

Unlike the last generation of Mercedes' Intelligent Drive technology, introduced in the S-Class limo only two years ago, the E-Class will be able to drive itself on roads without clear lane markings at up to 130km/h. But it will still only be a semi-autonomous car.

Authorities around the world, including Germany's own VDA, still have rules requiring the driver to keep their hands on the wheel at all times. So law-abiding Mercedes-Benz uses a steering-wheel sensor to shut down its most advanced technology if the driver's hands leave the steering wheel for more than a few seconds.

Motorway driving is an ideal scenario for the autonomous car

But Mercedes-Benz will be ready to move the moment such laws are amended to accommodate autonomous cars.

This will make it possible, for example, for drivers to hand over control to the car for tedious motorway driving.

Mercedes driver assistance systems engineer Alexander Schaab confirms that motorway driving is an ideal scenario for the autonomous car. With no oncoming traffic, it's a relatively simple environment for sensors and software to cope with, he points out.

Thinking ahead, Mercedes is already working to develop protocols for the car to hand control back to the driver, he says. With today's hands-on laws, this is simple he says. But when the car has been in control for an extended period, the driver can obviously become deeply involved in other tasks. Making sure they're ready to resume driving, say at the end of the motorway, is something requiring absolutely foolproof technology.

Schaab says Mercedes will be ready when laws change to permit autonomous driving.

"We will be coming very quickly with a solution," he promises.

It will be able to park itself even with no-one in the car from the time of launch

While the next E-Class must wait for lawmakers to catch up when it comes to motorway driving, it will be able to park itself even with no-one in the car from the time of launch.

Using a smartphone app it will be possible for an E-Class owner to park their car while standing outside it.

Once the manoeuvre is selected on the phone, the driver must continuously confirm they want the car to keep moving by making a gesture on its touchscreen that's like twirling the thumbwheel of an iPod.

As well as being able to handle nose-in, reverse-in and parallel parking, Mercedes' new Remote Parking Pilot also features a mode called Explore, which allows the driver to remotely move the car forward or backwards up to 10 metres, into or out of a very narrow garage, for example.