Mercedes-Benz is preparing MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO, an advanced urban driver assistance system with SAE Level 2 partial automation, developed with NVIDIA.
Orders open in the first half of 2027. The system supports the driver from start to destination, extending the motorway assistance already offered across the full navigation route. It helps leave the motorway, navigate dense city traffic, change lanes, merge, turn at junctions, and brake and pull away at traffic lights. Drivers activate it with a button on the steering wheel during active navigation.
Mercedes-Benz will offer the system in Germany, in addition to China and the U.S. Availability depends on the model, and the company will roll it out across its passenger car and van range. Models and pricing will be announced before each market launch. Customers with eligible vehicles can add the function through an over-the-air update. A complimentary one-month trial is also planned through the Mercedes-Benz Store.
Early Access in Stuttgart and Munich
From the end of 2026, selected customers in Stuttgart and Munich will receive early access through an OTA update, provided their cars have the necessary hardware. Mercedes-Benz will contact them individually, and their real-world feedback will feed into ongoing development.
Regulatory Basis
A UNECE working group approved the UN R171 regulation for vehicles with Driver Control Assistance Systems (DCAS), setting stringent safety requirements. Mercedes-Benz welcomed the framework as a foundation for introducing advanced assistance functions and for opening the technology to more markets.
Sensors, Computing and Driver Responsibility
The system uses 27 sensors: ten cameras, five radar units and twelve ultrasonic sensors. They feed a computer capable of 254 TOPS. MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO combines Mercedes-Benz’s MB.OS with NVIDIA Hyperion in-vehicle compute and sensor architecture, the Halos full-stack safety system and Alpamayo Stack software.
A hands-on cooperative steering concept lets the driver intervene at any time. As a Level 2 system, it requires constant driver attention, and the driver remains in control and responsible for the vehicle.
Executive Comments
Chairman Ola Källenius said the system gives customers a new level of safety, intelligence and confidence, and that its German launch shows Mercedes-Benz intends to lead in automated and assisted driving. NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang said safe autonomous driving in complex cities requires advanced intelligence, and that the companies are pairing Mercedes-Benz engineering and safety commitment with NVIDIA Hyperion to bring the technology to more drivers.