In a world filled with technology features overwhelming the consumer it takes a lot for something to come along and just be deemed “useful.” Mercedes has accomplished just that.
Just outside Faro, Portugal Mercedes-Benz let me loose in a Euro-spec pre-production 2027 GLC electric ahead of the U.S. market launch later this year. The new electric SUV is notably pretty good, but what’s really a standout feature is something Mercedes dubs Reverse Maneuvering Function. In short, it’s a new system that utilizes hardware already onboard the car with new software tricks to help get out of sticky situations when the road ends and there’s no room for a U-turn.
When the Reverse Maneuvering Function feature arrives via a free over-the-air software update for the 2027 GLC electric, it will enable the car to remember the path driven for about the last 328 to 492 feet (100 to 150 meters ), which is a bit variable based on how complicated the route is. Should you find yourself at the end of a long twisting driveway, or narrow alleyway, or tight twisting road with no room to turn around, the system can back the GLC electric up the same path it came down.
The vehicle will automatically record and remember the path driven, meaning the driver doesn’t need to enable anything. It’s all short-term memory and stored locally on the vehicle itself, not in the cloud. To engage the system all the driver needs to do it put the GLC electric intro reverse and tap the “start reversing” button on the touchscreen and the system is engaged.
The function backs the car out using the electric power steering system while the driver controls the throttle and the brakes. Notably, the car is speed limited and will only back the car up a few mph regardless of how far the accelerator is pushed to the floor.
Throughout the entire sequence a translucent green line displays on the touchscreen showing the path the GLC electric is reversing on, or in other words, the path the car just drove is now reversing back through.
Mercedes said the function utilizes the cameras, sonar, and radar sensors already aboard the GLC electric. Essentially the automaker’s taken safety hardware already on the vehicle and added new functionality.
BMW offers a similar function that in standard form can remember up to about 164 feet of distance driven (50 meters) and when optioned up to Parking Assistant Professional the distance is increased up to about 656 feet (200 meters). Porsche introduced a similar functionality on the Macan Electric, but it only retraces up to about the last 160 feet (50 meters) driven.
It’s a nifty feature and something I could see a lot of people using, especially on long, winding, narrow driveways in the dark. As tested in Portugal the system worked almost flawlessly only erroring one time, though it’s still in final testing and Mercedes hasn’t given a timeline for exactly when the function will be released into the marketplace.
Got a tip about a tech feature? Send us a note at tips@thedrive.com