Mercedes-Benz to offer iPhone integration with new A-Class Concept

Social Media integration through smarter vehicle infotainment interfaces has achieved new heights in the automotive industry globally, and German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront of this revolution in the making.

While smart apps and easy voice recognition technologies are favourites among users of the Apple iPhone, Mercedes-Benz has plans of making this smartphone a worthy companion to its revolutionary user interface design on the new A Class Concept. The iPhone will be connected to the car through an interface developed by Mercedes-Benz Accessories GmbH. This allows content to be fed directly from the graphics output of the device to the display of the vehicle. At the same time, the iPhone is both powered and charged automatically while it is being used.

Along with easy Facebook and Twitter access the seamless iPhone integration means that future Mercdes-Benz A-Class customers will also benefit from voice recognition technologies, the likes of Siri found on the latest iPhone 4S. Through this intelligent application, customers can use their natural speech patterns to send out messages, select music tracks and check the weather forecast or stock prices, as well as to make or cancel appointments.

Mercedes-Benz is also firmly convinced that the future lies with cloud computing, and so is working at providing safe and convenient access to the internet on the move through its fully integrated multimedia system COMAND Online, which was introduced in 2011.

Better entertainment and connectivity options like a personalized internet radio by AUPEO, an advanced navigation software from Garmin and an intuitive ‘Car Finder’ which automatically stores the vehicle's location are also expected to be a part of comfort and convenience features on the new breed of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, starting with A-Class.

Both the "Digital DriveStyle App" and the "Drive Kit Plus for the Apple iPhone" will be making their debut in the new A-Class, which will be celebrating its world premiere at this year's Geneva Motor Show, and are also planned to be available from autumn 2012 for the B-, C- and E-Class.