For a special joint episode of Talking Tech and Talking Cars, Consumer Reports’ Electronics Editor Glenn Derene and Director of Auto Testing Jake Fisher took a spin in the Mercedes-Benz S550 with an optional Distronic Plus with Steer Assist technology package. The vehicle as outfitted costs $114,475, and is one of the first vehicles on the market to combine a variety of sensing and mechanical assist technologies to actively “watch” the road and automatically steer, brake, and accelerate for the driver.
This car marks an interesting point in the evolution of automotive technology, a sort of halfway point between human control and autonomous vehicles. Derene and Fisher explore what it means, both technologically and socially, when a vehicle gives you permission to take your hands off the wheel.
Want more talk? Check our past episodes of Talking Tech and Talking Cars.
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