If you've been thinking, 'screens in cars have been getting a bit big, ' well, boy, do we have news for you. Mercedes is about to unfurl a 39-inch whopper.
That's… a lot of inches
Isn't it, though? For the metrically-minded amongst you, that's basically a metre, and it's the measurement of the latest 'Hyperscreen' in-car screen which Mercedes has just shown off. Actually, it's a bit hard to tell where the screen stops and the car starts, but this is the interior of the next-generation Mercedes GLC, which gets its full unveiling at the Munich motor show next week.
Presumably, this is an all-electric GLC?
Not quite — there will be hybrid versions too — but yes, this new GLC does ride on a new MB.EA architecture (bigger than the MMA chassis used by the new electric and hybrid CLA), which will also underpin the new electric and hybrid C-Class. Mercedes is sufficiently impressed with the electric performance of these two new models that they're going to replace the current EQE and EQE SUV, which will be given the chop soon. The GLC will also see a styling reset for Mercedes, as it moves away from the pebble-like look of the EQE and EQS, and brings back a traditional upright grille. It's expected to have a range in excess of 800km.
Tell us more about the massive screen
Basically, this latest Hyperscreen takes the optional three-screen layout we've seen in the CL and just combines all screens together into one unit, backlit by 1,000 LED units. Impressively, different parts of the screen can be set to a different level of brightness, a function that Mercedes is taking out a patent on. Still wouldn't much fancy driving one of these at night though — imagine the glare… This Hyperscreen is the top-spec option for the new GLC, though, and there will be versions with a simpler, smaller-screen setup.
What about the rest of the cabin?
There's a new, sweeping dashboard design which essentially acts as a support structure for the massive screen, and which is shown here with Mercedes' trademark 'Zebrano'-style wood trim. There are neat oblong air vents beneath the screen, and cool circular vents built into the outer edges of the screen itself. There are also adjustable cupholders, two wireless phone charging pads, and some physical shortcut button,s too.
Mercedes claims that the way you use the massive screen is 'intuitive' and that there is a variety of screen backgrounds which vary from the calming to the intense, and which — as does the climate control — also flash up different colours in the ambient cabin lighting.
According to Mercedes: The majestically floating screen stretches seamlessly from pillar to pillar and instils a sense of belonging, encapsulating the 'Welcome home' feeling that only a Mercedes-Benz can evoke.”
When will we know more?
The new GLC — with its massive screen — makes its debut in Munich next week.