Splitview Technology to Debut in the US Mercedes Benz S-Class
The German manufacturers have been constantly in the news for their innovative technologies that they have been adding in the Mercedes Benz S-Class models since the beginning. At the Los Angeles Auto Show 2009, the tradition will continue to be seen. Last year in the month of December, a new technology called Splitview technology had been installed in the S-Class Benz models. This time it is the turn of the US market, where the sedan is about to be launched next month itself.
Mercedes Benz and Bosch had developed the Splitview technology mutually. The technology enables the dual usage of the center-mounted LCD screen that is installed in the S-Class. It lets both the driver and the front seat passenger to watch two different things of their choice at the same time. While the driver can access the navigation system to find the way, on the same screen the passenger can side-by-side watch a DVD too.
Initially, the Splitview technology of the Mercedes Benz was set to be launched in the market a couple of months back but finally the launch got delayed. The delay is attributed to the legal issues over the technology installation. The laws actually bar the driver to watch DVDs or movies while driving. They are not completely aware of the purpose and usage of the dual-view technology and that is why they are not appreciating it much. This is the inhibition feared by the legal system and the German automobile makers.
Ian Callum, who is the design head of Jaguar, said in August that the Splitview technology is “technically illegal.” whereas the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has given a clean chit to this technology.
Though Mercedes is not the first automaker to install this technology, yet the S-Class model would be the first from Mercedes featuring this cutting-edge technology. Jaguar had been ahead of them in using it in its earlier manufactured models like the XJ. It was introduced in Jaguar as an optional upgrade system function.
In various other parts of the world, the British automaker Jaguar has its own Jaguar XJ model that equips the same Splitview technology in the cars. Though, they haven’t announced till date whether the model that they are going to launch in the US will feature the same technology or not.
