On the Dash:
- Mercedes-Benz will launch MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO in Stuttgart and Munich by year-end.
- The SAE Level 2 system requires driver supervision at all times.
- A limited U.S. version is available now on the CLA for $1,950.
Mercedes-Benz plans to launch its urban assisted driving system in Germany by the end of the year, with a nationwide rollout to follow in early 2027.
Joerg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz’s Chief Technology Officer, revealed the timeline in a LinkedIn post Friday. He made the announcement following a meeting in Berlin with German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, Reuters reported.
Stuttgart and Munich will be the first cities to receive the system. Mercedes-Benz plans to eventually expand it across its full lineup of cars and vans.
The system is called MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO. Mercedes-Benz debuted it at CES 2026 in Las Vegas and launched it in China with the battery-electric CLA sedan at the end of 2025. Germany would be the third market to receive it, after China and the United States.
MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO is an SAE Level 2 system. That means the driver must remain attentive and ready to intervene at all times. At the press of a button, the system guides the vehicle through city streets from origin to destination. A cooperative steering feature lets the driver make adjustments without deactivating the system.
The technology handles traffic lights, lane changes, intersections and pedestrian scenarios in dense urban traffic. It was developed in partnership with chipmaker Nvidia, which supplies AI software and the DRIVE AGX computing platform.
The system differs from Mercedes-Benz’s existing Drive Pilot. Drive Pilot is a certified SAE Level 3 feature available on the S-Class and EQS. It allows hands-off, eyes-off driving on motorways at speeds up to 95 km/h. Mercedes-Benz is the only automaker to hold Level 3 certification in both Germany and the United States.
Burzer said Mercedes-Benz is working with Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and the Federal Motor Transport Authority to bring the system to market quickly.
In the U.S., a limited version covering steering, lane-change and parking assist is already available as a $1,950 option on the CLA. Mercedes-Benz says the full urban point-to-point capability is expected to activate later this year, depending on model availability.
