WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

The Mercedes CLA takes automotive intuition to the next level

Wave at the new Mercedes-Benz CLA and it will read your mind and body language.

The “four-door coupe” based on the A-Class hatch takes cabin tech to the next level. Hand gesture recognition initiates numerous functions and the CLA can also work with smartwatches to monitor how you’re feeling to provide massages, heat or cool the seats and even adjust the lighting.

Using heart rate and sleep analysis data, it can check on the driver’s stress level and, if these are elevated, help to improve life with various wellness “packages”.

The latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with more than 40 extra functions has been revealed at the epicentre of modern invention, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

It’s essentially Benz’s version of Siri but has the advantage of being able to control car functions.

“By recognising gestures, it facilitates natural operation,” says Mercedes board member Ola Kallenius.

If waving your hands seems too brash, the CLA — due in Australia in the third quarter of this year — also responds to “Hey Mercedes”. Benz says it will reply only to the first user on each drive to avoid confusion with other occupants’ prompts.

Two large colour digital displays, one in the centre of the dash and the other for the driver, furnish a raft of customisable information and respond to the touchscreen, console dial or thumbpads on the steering wheel.

The latest iteration has stepped up several notches from the first version unveiled at CES last year.

Pass a hand near the touchscreen and conjure a menu that is pertinent to the side of the cabin it came from — the front passenger can make specific adjustments for his or her position. Reading lamps can be switched on and off by a gesture towards the rear-view mirror.

Externally, Mercedes opted for a more mature yet sporty makeover. Chief designer Gorden Wagener says the aim was to maintain the distinctive Coke-bottle profile with its shark nose and stretched bonnet with power bulges.

The footprint is wider, with an extra 63mm between the front wheels and 55mm more at the rear, and the slightly lower ride height brings down the centre of gravity. The combined effect is claimed to make cornering more athletic.

The cabin is longer and wider than in its predecessor. Shoulder and elbow room are more generous and headroom is marginally improved — under the swooping roofline, rear occupants may find the extra 3mm meagre.

Also on debut at CES, the Mercedes-Benz Vivoactive 3 smartwatch can be used with the “Energising Coach” option (as can any compatible Garmin wearable smartwatch).

The user’s heart rate can be projected on to the screen and the coach works in tandem with the watch’s algorithms to improve in-car comfort so that passengers “feel well and relaxed even during demanding or monotonous journeys”.

Borrowing tech from the S-Class limousine stablemate, the CLA can drive semiautonomously on highways and roads with clear markings.

With improved camera and radar set-ups, it can scan traffic 500m ahead, maintain its road position and — when the driver taps the indicator stalk — even change lanes without further input.

Pricing and full specifications will be revealed closer to the launch — expect an increase over the current $49,400. Watch prices are also yet to be announced.

The CLA250 on the Benz stand at Las Vegas packs a four-cylinder turbo (165kW/350Nm) with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.