Mercedes launches new driver assist system – marking a first for Germany

Mercedes-Benz is introducing its MB.Drive Assist Pro system in Germany. This makes Mercedes the first automaker to offer advanced urban partially automated driving at SAE Level 2 in Germany, in addition to China and the USA. Customers with compatible models will be able to test the feature free of charge for one month.

Image: Mercedes-Benz

At the beginning of 2026, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the MB.Drive Assist Pro system at CES in Las Vegas, with a US launch planned shortly afterwards. Now, the manufacturer has announced the introduction of its advanced urban partially automated driving system at SAE Level 2 for Germany, significantly expanding the assistance functions already available for motorway use.

Specifically, MB.Drive Assist Pro is designed to support door-to-door driving in urban traffic, handling tasks such as merging, lane changes, turning, braking, and starting at traffic lights. However, the driver remains responsible for monitoring and vehicle control at all times.

Existing customers can purchase the functions – provided their vehicle has the necessary technical preparation – via an over-the-air update in the future. The price for unlocking MB.Drive Assist Pro in Germany has not yet been announced. In the USA, Mercedes has introduced a subscription model priced at US$3,950 (approx. €3,520 euros) for three years. In Germany, customers will receive a free one-month trial to test the system.

MB.Drive Assist Pro to be deployed from late 2026

As early as late 2026, selected customers with compatible models will benefit from the new functions, as Mercedes plans a pilot launch of the system in Stuttgart and Munich. According to Mercedes, the selected individuals will be notified separately and will receive the update for their respective vehicles. The manufacturer aims to incorporate insights from these initial customer experiences into the continuous improvement of the system.

The system’s approval in Germany is made possible thanks to regulations from the UNECE Working Group on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles. The new UN R171 regulation establishes the relevant provisions and safety requirements that vehicles with driver assistance systems must comply with. Mercedes-Benz can use this framework for the future EU-wide introduction of MB.Drive Assist Pro without requiring additional individual approvals.

The hardware of the urban Level 2 system includes 27 sensors (ten cameras, five radar, twelve ultrasonic sensors) and a computer with up to 254 TOPs (Trillion Operations Per Second = trillion computing operations per second). The software architecture combines the MB.OS operating system with NVIDIA Hyperion, the Halos security system, and the Alpamayo software.

media.mercedes-benz.com, mbpassion.de (DE) (US subscription model)