Mercedes-Benz EQ CLA Gets OTA Update: City & Highway Navigation Assist Nationwide, AI Assistant "Xiao Ben" Debuts

Mercedes-Benz has rolled out a new over-the-air (OTA) update for the all-electric CLA model in the Chinese market, introducing enhancements across two key areas: intelligent driver assistance and the digital cockpit. The update adds or optimizes a total of 12 features. In intelligent driver assistance, this upgrade—developed in collaboration with Momenta—leverages a reinforcement learning-based large model to significantly improve the vehicle’s performance in high-frequency scenarios such as navigating complex intersections, responding to sudden cut-ins by adjacent vehicles, and protecting vulnerable road users. The system’s decision-making logic now more closely mirrors that of an experienced human driver. City and highway navigation-assisted driving functions are now available nationwide. Additional driving-related updates include: - New ETC lane recognition (capable of identifying toll gates, lane types, and通行 status in advance) - Enhanced flexibility in speed adjustment - Added choice of exit direction during automated parking maneuvers - Personalized driver-assistance training based on user behavior - Improved human-machine co-driving experience - Refined emergency lane-keeping functionality - Strengthened ability to avoid static objects within the lane - Optimized traffic light stop-and-go and automatic lane-change capabilities when navigation is not active On the digital cockpit front, Mercedes-Benz has officially launched its new AI-powered virtual assistant, “Xiao Ben.” Integrating natural language processing, 3D graphics, and a human-like voice system, Xiao Ben features a dedicated cartoon avatar with dynamic visual effects. Beyond supporting basic voice commands and information queries, Xiao Ben can recognize user emotions and provide interactive responses. It also synchronizes with in-cabin hardware—including ambient lighting, audio, climate control, and seats—to instantly create customized cabin atmospheres based on voice instructions.