Watch A 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Drive Itself Off The Assembly Line
Production of the new, facelifted S-Class has begun in Sindelfingen.
Mercedes-Benz has announced that production of the newly facelifted and updated S-Class has started in Sindelfingen. The new S-Class boasts significantly increased semi-autonomous tech, which Mercedes appears to be leveraging in the car's own manufacturing process.
In a brief video, Mercedes-Benz production and supply chain board member Markus Schäfer talks up the new flagship Benz and takes it for a ride from the end of the assembly line to the Sindelfingen plant's final loading area—all from the opulent comfort of the passenger's seat.
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class sets worldwide standards for safety, comfort, connectivity, and is on the road to automated driving. The S-Class's independent journey from the end of the production line to the plant's loading area shows the future of how we will be able to use driver assistance systems in production.
Mind you, the S 560 4MATIC you see in the video's onboard semi-autonomous gadgets are working in tandem with external cameras and sensors to make the almost mile-long journey, so we're afraid this remains another example of "don't try this at home." Still, it provides an interesting look into how autonomous cars of the future can not only make life easier for its customers, but for the people that build them as well.
As Schäfer points out, perhaps the next S-Class's fully independent maiden voyage will take it much further than a mile and go on to make these a thing of the past.