Mercedes-Benz MBUX Hyperscreen Wows The Virtual Crowd At 2021 CES

Before debuting at the first virtual 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Editor-in-chief Vince Nguyen gave us a healthy glimpse of Mercedes-Benz's newest MBUX Hyperscreen, an all-digital, all-screen infotainment system powered by artificial intelligence.

The newest MBUX Hyperscreen is different from Samsung's Digital Cockpit 2021. In our eyes, it even looks better than BMW's next-generation iDrive that also debuted at 2021 CES. And while Samsung is upping the ante with a motorized 49-inch QLED display, Mercedes is taking a different approach with the latest-gen MBUX Hyperscreen.

"The new MBUX Hyperscreen combines unique electrical aesthetics with outstanding user-friendliness," said Sajjad Khan, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG and CTO. "A decisive strength is clever networking of all systems based on intelligent, adaptive software. This makes the Hyperscreen the brain of the car; it's connected to and communicates with all components of the vehicle.

Unlike previous generations of MBUX, Hyperscreen's 'Mercedes Travel Knowledge' is a first for the three-pointed star. It's a system that evaluates map data and vehicle surroundings to offer tidbits of information about specific landmarks, buildings, restaurants, museums, and other points of interest along the route. Simply ask, and the system will do the rest for you.

For instance, if you say, "Hey Mercedes, what's this building on the right?" the system will display the answer on the respective display along with a spoken response by the A.I. voice assistant. The latest version of MBUX Hyperscreen will first appear in the 2022 Mercedes EQS all-electric luxury sedan. Still, the Mercedes Travel Knowledge feature is also available in the new 2021 S-Class, albeit without Hyperscreen.

But when it comes to new infotainment systems, our primary focus is on user-friendliness and intuitive menus with minimal distractions. MBUX Hyperscreen is developed with a 'zero layer' menu that displays the most critical applications on the screen's top.

"When developing MBUX Hyperscreen, the focus was clearly on the customer," added Khan. "The goal was a concept without distracting the driver or complicated operation, but one that is capable of learning thanks to artificial intelligence."

Indeed, Hyperscreen 'learns' your driving behavior and presents the essential menus within easy reach, like the telephone, navigation, or your to-do list, for example. Artificial intelligence chooses what menu or function is relevant to the consumer, offering a tailored driving experience as you've never seen or felt before. "This is customer orientation and digital thinking in 2021," said Khan.

The latest MBUX Hyperscreen has three separate displays spanning 56-inches across the dashboard's entire length. The central and front passenger display features OLED technology. Simultaneously, eight CPU cores power the system and 24 GB of RAM with 46.4 gigabytes per second RAM memory bandwidth to ensure a smooth and seamless operation.

Frankly, Samsung's Digital Cockpit 2021 is a massive leap from what we see in modern production cars. But as expected from Mercedes-Benz (the pioneer of new automotive tech and safety kit), MBUX Hyperscreen is taking it up a notch by incorporating the most extensive human-machine interface with an easy to use, A.I. learning system.