Hate Big Screens? Mercedes-Benz Has Bad News

Hyperscreens Are Here to Stay

For those hoping that Mercedes-Benz would dial down the Hyperscreen over time, we have bad news for you. The German automaker is sticking to its guns when it comes to that matter, so don't expect simplified interiors from the brand any time soon, or ever.

Autocar recently spoke to Mathias Geisen, Mercedes-Benz's head of sales and marketing, regarding the matter. If anything, it's set to double down on the whole thing, and we wouldn't be too surprised if we end up with glass cockpits instead of dashboards in the future.

What the Sales and Marketing Chief Said

According to the source article, the touchscreens will showcase their 'digital craftsmanship,' and that Mercedes-Benz's current sales and marketing chief is, indeed, a big fan of the screens. "I always refer to my phone: for the last 20 years it basically looks the same, but the magic happens behind the screen, and this is why we are big believers in those screens," said Geisen. It's a stark contrast to Volkswagen's approach to digitalization, further highlighting the crossroads that the German auto industry is facing at the moment.

Geisen also said, "We [Mercedes-Benz] have the highest-craft machine in the interior, in look and feel and materials, but we make sure that this overall experience seamlessly blends into what you do on the digital side." He further added that these screens add a touch of personalization with the ability to change themes and wallpapers uploaded into the infotainment system, adding to the physical personal touches that one can put on the car, in this case, the C-Class EV.

Consolation

That said, Mercedes-Benz isn't being deliberately obtuse; there are customer clinics that have requested bringing the buttons back, so the company did just that. Mind you, the company isn't giving us a whole heap of them, but at least some basic functions won't be buried in the massive touchscreens.

In the case of the electric C-Class, there is a rocker switch and a scroll wheel on the steering wheel, but there are still a fair degree of capacitive touch panels on it. There is, however, a small row of buttons on the high-set center console, namely for the drive modes, exterior cameras, microphone, and another scroll wheel for volume.

Expect the next generation of Mercedes-Benz models to adopt a layout similar to that of the new C-Class EV, as well as the CLA and GLB. The gas-fed (facelift) version of the C-Class is coming soon, and don't be shocked when you're greeted by a face full of screens.

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