So. Much. Tech: Detailing the 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-class's Gadgetry - Car and Driver (blog)
Autonomous driving is the siren call of leading-edge automotive technology, so it was clear that the E-class would follow the S down the hands-free highway. Yes, the 2017 E-class, like the S-class, can steer itself along for brief periods. The company describes it as “a semi-automated assistance system in which the driver still needs to keep their hands on the steering wheel. ”) The system, which is again a function of Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control, can steer autonomously—sorry, “provide significantly enhanced steering assistance”—not only on highways but also on secondary roads even with no lane markings, the... As for the cruise-control function, it works at speeds from zero to 120 mph, can creep along in stop-and-go traffic, and can adjust a set speed in response to speed-limit signs or speed-limit info taken from the nav system. A car that can steer itself into a parking space is no longer news, but the E-class ups the wow factor by parking itself while the “driver” stands outside of the vehicle. The driver tells the car where to park via the Remote Parking Pilot app on a previously paired, Bluetooth-connected smartphone, so in that sense he is still “driving” the vehicle. The car can maneuver into a perpendicular space, parallel park, or pull forward into a tight garage. The driver initiates the maneuver by tracing a circle on the smartphone and must continue that action for the car to keep moving. Source: blog.caranddriver.com
