Mercedes-Benz CLA250
Like Audi, like BMW, Mercedes-Benz goes to a lot of trouble to create an environment sure to please sophisticated, demanding tech heads. Like the sound of augmented-reality navigation? It’s here. A 64-colour light show? Check. Two screens that blend seamlessly to create the impression of huge single display? Yup.
All of this in a diminutive package. The Wards panel came away impressed with the high-quality images and graphics of the screens and the sophistication of the drive-assist systems. What took things over the top for the jury members, though, was the augmented-reality navigation system, which provides a video image of the vehicle’s surroundings highlighted by visual cues for cross streets and house numbers, which hover above the ground on the display. For Wards, “Mercedes-Benz really is the leader in navigation and maps”.
Other notable elements that make UX exceptional in the CLA: quality materials and unimpeachable craftsmanship and showy multi-colour in-cabin illumination.