Mercedes-Benz is on the verge of revealing its overhauled AMG GT 4-Door, and today, we got a little more than just a teaser of the GT’s new interior. If you ask us, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some good, some bad, and some “meh” here, so let’s dive right in.
Let’s start with the good news. For starters, the GT’s driver-focused interior design soldiers on, and is even augmented by the new center stack design. The primary infotainment screen is now canted toward the driver’s seat, as are the new drive mode adjustment controls on the left side of the center console. Not to be left out, the passenger side gets its own redundant infotainment screen—and, from the looks of it, a dedicated device charging cradle. There now appear to be two separate pads under the main display, with a center divider to make sure they stay put when you’re driving spiritedly.
“The interior emphasizes the vehicle’s core purpose: a quintessential AMG driving experience with thrilling driving dynamics and precise control,” Mercedes-Benz said in its teaser. “The interior is an in-house development from Affalterbach, designed to create the most direct possible interaction between human and machine.”
“Direct?” That’s debatable. We submit the following as evidence: The strip of HVAC controls that once occupied the space beneath the center screen is no longer there. The eagle-eyed among you will note that the temperature toggles are now rendered in software and docked to the bottom of the MBUX interface. Bye-bye, physical switches.
This was done as part of what Mercedes calls a “balanced operating concept” that interweaves tactile, haptic, touchscreen, and voice controls. And to be fair, this analog retreat was not absolute. Not only are there new physical knobs on the center console to control the car’s performance systems, but the various buttons that sat forward of the old console-mounted touch controller (may it rest in pieces) are still present; they’re now tucked in between the wireless charging cradle and the trim surrounding the cup holders.
While it is nominally a 4-door, the GT’s swept roofline keeps it from being a true family car. The standard individual rear seats (rather than a full bench) help drive that point home. Expect no changes in that regard.
The latest generation of AMG’s GT cars keeps growing up. Will this be the most mature take on the 4-door formula yet? We’ll find out soon enough.
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