Mercedes is promising an all-new, 'comprehensively digitalised' generation of steering wheels in all of its products going forward, starting with the refreshed E-Class this summer.
Capacitive features
The German firm describes the new 'tiller' as a capacitive steering wheel. The rim of the wheel contains a two-zone senor mat which detects when the driver's hands are gripping the steering wheel, presumably to prevent those times you're showing off the semi-autonomous Lane Keep Assist to your mates and you're waving your hands about the cabin. Further, Mercedes says the touch-control buttons in the spokes of the wheel now operate with digital signals, upgrading from the previous set-ups.
Mercedes says that the evolution of this particular type of wheel is not something car companies take lightly. Developers and designers work hand in hand to focus on perfecting each and every detail; so every millimetre of a circuit board determines what shape the surface of the wheel can take. Hans-Peter Wunderlich, creative director for interior design at Mercedes-Benz and a man who has been designing steering wheels for 20 years, said looks and haptics are the primary concern, adding: "Steering-wheel design is a world of its own and a very special challenge that is often underestimated. Besides the seat, the steering wheel is the only component in the vehicle with which we have intensive physical contact. The fingertips feel little things that we normally don't notice. If an unevenness is disturbing or the steering wheel does not fit snugly in our hands, we don't like it. This haptic sensation is sent to the brain as feedback and determines whether or not we like the car." The emotional connection to a car is thus created through the sense of touch.
High-tech command centre
The current multifunction steering wheel is described as a 'high-tech command centre' by Mercedes-Benz, allowing a driver to steer precisely and yet, at the same time, control numerous comfort and assistance systems onboard the vehicle without having to take their hands from the wheel. It's a long way from the Patent Motor Car created by Carl Benz in 1886 or the Steel Wheel Car from Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1889, neither of which had a wheel. They had simple steering levers or cranks, which imitated the movements of pulling on the reins of a horse to make a vehicle go left or right. It wasn't until 1900 that Mercedes switched to a wheel for control, following French engineer Alfred Vacheron's invention of the device for the world's first automobile race - held from Paris to Rouen in July 1894.
There have been many design evolutions and control features grafted onto Mercedes models since then, but the capacitive wheel is what the company is most proud of. The Touch Control buttons reduce mechanical operating surfaces to the barest minimum and are integrated flush into the wheel's spokes. Operating like a smartphone's touchscreen, the materials have been designed so that they can be operated comfortably even in scorching sunlight.
'Unpleasantly bulging'
Furthermore, the new wheel will be available in three versions called Sport, Luxury and Supersport, and Wunderlich explained: "It is the most beautiful steering wheel we have ever built. The proportions of the airbag, spokes and rim are absolutely harmonious. The airbag is not concealed, but staged as a flattering sphere. In the Luxury version, the spokes form a chalice inspired by elegant Callas flowers in a black panel look, in which the sphere floats. In the Supersport version, it is held by two double-decker spokes in black panel design, reminiscent of the wheel wing nuts of sports cars. The steering wheels thus stage high-tech and, at the same time, arouse emotions - in keeping with the design philosophy of Sensual Purity, which expresses the bipolarity of intelligence and emotion."
Finally, size is important. It remains the same dimensions as its predecessor, with a diameter of 370-380mm and a rim 29mm wide, and 42-44mm deep. Wunderlich said: "The steering wheel rim is the secret kingmaker of a steering wheel. Its geometric design is a science in itself that cannot be found in any textbook. The wreath must fit snugly in the hand. If it is a millimetre too much, it feels unpleasantly bulging. If it's a millimetre too little, it feels like it's starved. And that impression then clouds the overall feel of the car."