- Mercedes-Benz will launch a new Level 2 partial self-driving system usable off the highway sometime later this year.
- Called MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO, it lets users make steering adjustments without shutting off the system.
Mercedes will launch a new advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) later this year in the U.S. Called MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO, it can be used on city streets, not just highways.
Mercedes will use this week’s CES consumer electronics show to debut the system to the American market. It has already been on sale in China since late 2025.
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A press release light on details did not say which cars will get the system first. Images provided by Mercedes show it operating in the upcoming 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA.
‘Advanced Level 2‘
- Automakers use a system of five levels to describe their efforts toward self-driving cars. Mercedes says this one is “advanced” Level 2.
- Mercedes has the only Level 3 system legal in the U.S., but can sell it only in Nevada and parts of California.
Automakers use a five-level ladder to classify their efforts toward an eventual self-driving car. Mercedes calls MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO an “advanced Level 2” system, though the official classification managed by the Society of Automotive Engineers doesn’t recognize the “advanced” tag in the phrase.
Level 2 systems require constant driver supervision. They let drivers take their hands off the wheel, but not their eyes off the road.
Most Level 2 systems for sale in the U.S. operate only on highways, often with the help of maps. Mercedes, however, says this one can work “through the city streets – from the parking lot to the destination.”
It also lets drivers make adjustments without deactivating the system.
Automotive News reports that the system will cost $3,950 for three years. Owners can also choose a monthly subscription plan, but the company has not disclosed its cost. Tesla’s similar system, known as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), costs $8,000 for permanent use or $99 per month.
Mercedes is the only company currently authorized to sell a Level 3 system – one that lets drivers look away from the road under limited circumstances. Its Drive Pilot Level 3 system is legal only in Nevada and parts of California, and found only on its top-of-the-line Model S sedan.
