A leading car brand in
the automotive industry, the German manufacturer, Mercedes, have mastered the
art of luxury engineering. This highlights that Mercedes aren’t just luxury
vehicle engineers, they’re innovators too.

This should hardly be
surprising given the fact that Karl Benz, back in 1886, was patented with the
rights to the development of the first ever car, a three-wheel vehicle, titled
Motorwagen. It’s also unsurprising that this brand, originally from Stuttgart,
are the creators of some of the most premium models of vehicles we’ve been
graced with.

Popularly known as the
G-Class, the Gelandewagen is a SUV like never before. Initially built as a military
vehicle back in the late 70s, it has become synonymous with the affluent
members of society throughout the world. Sharp edges and a bold frame sit
outside the natural smooth ergonomic design of Mercedes-Benz. However, there is
no denying that this is a fan favourite —the six-wheel model even became
popular with the Pope. Meanwhile, the 300 SL model, recognisable from a movie
series featuring a certain Mr Bond, was the car that helped bring Benz back
after the Second World War.

Without a doubt the
most iconic vehicle in the Mercedes lock up, despite astounding capabilities on
the race track and an exterior design which makes it look like it belongs on
the winding roads of the French Riviera accompanying a Stella Artois advert, it
wasn’t that that made the car so memorable. Gullwing doors, opening up as
opposed to out, were a first — but, despite what one may think, this wasn’t a
style choice. In fact, the shape of the car’s chassis prevented conventional
doors being included.

After Benz’s successes
over the years, they have certainly been on the frontline of technological
innovation which allowed them to perform better than their competitors. If
you’ve had your Mercedes Gle in for a service, you’re probably aware of the
main features these beasts have to offer. However, further into this article,
we will take a look at ways the German manufacturer has kept a distance between
themselves in and other automotive companies in the industry, maintaining the title
of tech leaders.

When Imagination Becomes Real Life

The F200 model was
initially introduced as a concept prototype with a wide range of technological
augmentations. Helping form the basis of the design used in the S-Class and the
CL-Class, the F200 imagination, interestingly, didn’t include side mirrors or
your standard rear-view. Instead of these features that aid visibility, the
F200 included four cameras mounted in the corners of the roof, and one
additional camera fixed to the rear bumper.

Output from the
cameras was fed to a digital screen where the mirror would typically be
located. Despite the fact cars in 2019 are still using mirrors, quite
remarkably, the F200 started a revolution that would see parking cameras
included in the vast majority of vehicles. Meanwhile, ambience was high up on
the list of priorities of the F200, with an industry first lector-transparent
glass roof, which, with the touch of a button, would morph from see-through to
opaque.

Creation of the Airbag

It’s hard to believe that
airbags weren’t always a necessary feature of cars. Back in 1981, after more
than a decade of development and testing, undoubtedly the world’s most crucial safety
feature was finally introduced. Becoming a common feature in all Mercedes
vehicles as of 1992, two years before the passenger side airbag was introduced,
there is no denying that the airbag has transformed automotive health and
safety.

Anti-lock Brakes

The concept of the
anti-lock brakes was originally created by Gabriel Voisin in 1929, which
prevents wheels from locking. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s when a joint
venture between Bosch and Mercedes saw the system introduced into production
vehicles. Now, ABS, which helps the driver maintain control of the vehicle, is
a standard feature on every vehicle following the introduction by Mercedes. The
safety in vehicles was rapidly enhanced as a result.

Implementation of Touch-Sensitive
Controls

A concept which has
completely revolutionised motoring is ease of use,

Ease of use is an
increasingly important aspect of motoring, for example consider cruise control
and how this has drastically enhanced the everyday driving experience. Back in
2017, Mercedes unveiled the tech features available on their next generation
E-Class, one of which being an innovative system which lets the driver control
the infotainment system from the steering-wheel using finger swipes. Not only
is the system effortless and considerably safer than the alternatives, it was
also an industry first when Mercedes rolled it out.

It is undeniable that
Mercedes are an industry leader in the automotive industry. From innovation in
safety to amusement, Mercedes have truly thought of it all. One step ahead of
their competitors, we can’t wait to see what other advancements they have under
their sleeve.