TikTok will be integrated into the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class beginning in the fall of 2023, after which it will be released to the public.
An improved version of the MBUX infotainment system, which served as a forerunner of the automaker’s proprietary operating system known as MB.OS, will be included with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Mercedes intends to introduce MB.OS with its following generation of cars, is anticipated to hit the market in late 2024.
Not all apps are coming to the Mercedes E-Class, including TikTok. But because it demonstrates Mercedes’ interest in and presence in the Chinese market, it is one of the most intriguing selections.
In other areas, such as the US, the new Mercedes E-Class will also support TikTok.
“It is highly, highly relevant,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said about TikTok in Asia. “Let’s not forget that the average age of an S-Class owner in China is around or below 40 years old.”
“When we choose all these different apps, we go market by market or region by region,” he added. “We look at what is the most used — music or film [and] so on — and we tried to go down that list.”
Drivers will be able to use the TikTok app and view videos while the car is parked thanks to the recently redesigned MBUX system, which will feature a “superscreen” that spans the whole dashboard.
Because they will have access to a segment of the screen that is directly in front of them, passengers will also be able to participate in the action.
The driver won’t be able to watch TikTok videos being played on the passenger screen because of its restricted field of view.
A driver observation device will also monitor the driver’s gaze.
The E-Class infotainment system now includes apps from Mercedes such as Webex by Cisco, Angry Birds, Zoom video conferencing, and more.
And more is probably going to be added to the car through over-the-air software updates.
In order to make it simpler to include third-party apps in the infotainment system, Mercedes developed a new software architecture.
Also, it includes a brand-new app store that can be accessed via the Mercedes-Benz me app.
One of the announcements and premieres made on Wednesday at the automaker’s research and development facility in Sunnyvale, California, was the interior of the future E-Class.
Mercedes and Google recently announced a long-term cooperation aimed at giving the German manufacturer control over its intellectual property, and market while providing users with YouTube, Google Maps, and navigation.