Image: Mercedes-BenzMB.Drive Assist Pro operates at SAE Level 2, meaning the vehicle can steer autonomously while the driver remains fully responsible and must be ready to intervene at any time. Drivers may briefly take their hands off the steering wheel, but they must keep their eyes on the road at all times — a concept commonly described as “hands-off, eyes-on.” Mercedes-Benz says the system performs reliably enough to complete many journeys without driver input, although it currently only functions in urban environments.Following a discussion with Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), Mercedes Board Member for Development Jörg Burzer announced on LinkedIn that the system will ‘become available in select German cities by the end of 2026 and will be rolled out nationwide in early 2027.’ According to a report in the Handelsblatt, the first cities to offer the system will be Stuttgart and Munich.With this move, Mercedes-Benz is introducing a technology to its home market that has been available in a China-specific version since last autumn, developed in collaboration with the local technology provider Momenta. For Western markets, however, Mercedes is partnering with US tech giant Nvidia and unveiled this variant at the CES in Las Vegas in January.Mercedes-Benz said that its MB. Drive Assist Pro is designed to merge driving assistance and navigation into a new, safe driving experience. At the push of a button, the vehicle can navigate through the city—from parking space to destination. Thanks to Mercedes-Benz’s cooperative steering approach, drivers can make steering adjustments at any time without deactivating the system.Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius praised the system during CES, recounting a test drive in San Francisco where he travelled through the city for over an hour without needing to intervene. The highly automated MB. Drive Assist Pro system, operating at SAE Level 2, replaces the previous Drive Pilot system at SAE Level 3.While this may initially seem like a downgrade—moving from Level 3 to Level 2—it offers significant practical advantages. Unlike the Level 3 Drive Pilot, which is limited to specific motorway scenarios, vehicles equipped with MB. Drive Assist Pro can also operate autonomously in urban traffic, handling complex situations such as steering, braking, accelerating, and navigating intersections. However, the driver must remain prepared to intervene when necessary.In other words, the new MB.Drive Assist Pro allows the Stuttgart-based carmaker to cut costs significantly while enabling partially automated driving in many more situations. That makes the system far more practical than the previous use case of following a truck on the motorway at speeds of up to 95 km/h. Unlike Level 3 systems, Level 2 technology does not require costly laser-based lidar sensors, allowing Mercedes-Benz to offer the service at a much lower price.linkedin.com, handelsblatt.com (both in German)
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