MERCEDES FRIENDS
New range comes complete with virtual pal to cater for all your motoring needs
Two little words are about to transform the lives of Mercedes- Benz drivers – Hey Mercedes.
For those who have always considered cars as just big lumps of metal, here at last is a warm beating heart at its core.
The new Mercedes-Benz A- Class comes with what the company are calling MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), transforming the car from simply a practical adjunct to your busy lifestyle, to a companion, a pal who can cater for your every need.
Need some information? Want to change something? Hey Mercedes is your friend.
We have all had cars that we loved at some point in our lives – our first, our most stylish, the funky one – but now Mercedes-Benz have created one with its own personality.
Hey Mercedes is the woman who always pays attention to you in your own car, biddable and helpful, and you don’t even have to be too specific.
“Hey Mercedes, it’s hot in here,” and she will turn down the climate controlntrol for you. “Hey Mercedes, take me home,” and she will find your address in the sat nav and calculate the route.
You can even just chat to her alone on long journeys and ask her all about the car. She comes as standard on all new Mercedes-Benz A-Class models and will no doubt find her way into the rest of the range.
Add her to the new Mercedes Me app – which finds you hotels, restaurants and landmarks – and, frankly, your life is sorted.
The UK was the biggest market last year for Benz’s A- Class, which makes this a very important car for the company, and they have replied with some great technology and a model that is even more elegant than before.
It is longer, wider and sportier than the outgoing one and, in the AMG Line, is quitequi simply a stunner.
It hhas the special body kit, bigger wheels,whe a three- spoke steering wheelwhe and Artico and Dinamica twotone microfibre seats.
A piece of glass sweeps across the front,f housing the instrument dials and the touchscreen, home of Hey Mercedes, that can also be commanded from a fingertip dial.
There is a head-up display and the option to move information from the central screen to the one in front of you for easier, safer driving.
Of the three engines available at launch, the A- Class 2.0-litre petrol is the most rewarding to drive. It sings along as you sweep up the bends and round the corners, and coming down the gears as you slow, it growls gently, assuring you it is in perfect control.
Like most Mercedes-Benz models, you can change the way the A- Class drives from comfort mode to sport, eco or individual. But be prepared to be thrown back into the seat as this little beast really takes off. You can have a lot of fun in this car – with Hey Mercedes with you all the way.