New E-Class makes "speeding tickets history"

The new tenth-generation E-Class has been dubbed the most intelligently executed ever, and is so clever it can not only avoid crashes, but can even circumvent speeding tickets!

But there's one problem – the speeding ticket avoidance tech won't be available in Australia.

Coming to Australia in July 2016, all locally-delivered E-Class models will come equipped as standard with high-res, dual-screen LED dashboards, dual touchpads on the steering wheel, adaptive suspension, and semi-autonomous driver aids, such as automatic steering, braking and acceleration.

Owners will even have the ability to get out of the car and park it in tricky and tight spots remotely with their smartphone.

But the intelligent speed limit sign reading software will be deactivated on Australian E-Class cars.

Dr Thomas Weber, the head of research and development at Mercedes-Benz, stated at the car's launch in Portugal this week that it's Drive Pilot system is "capable of regulating the car's speed".

"Speed limit signs are recognised by the cameras on board, so with this new feature, speeding tickets are history!"

So why is Merc holding back a technology that could help it sell tens of thousands more cars in Australia?

The clever sign recognition technology is easily confused.

"The [Mercedes] researchers come out and test our roads, but because of speed limits on the back of trucks and buses and a number of signing issues here, it's inaccurate. So the liability comes back on to us," said Jerry Stamoulis, Mercedes-Benz Australia's Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communications Manager.

BMW offered the speed-limit detection technology back in 2011 on the 7 Series and 5 Series but had to axe it to avoid possible legal claims.

"We've had our guys out here to test it on a regular basis to see if these newer technologies can work," said Stamoulis, but it's still incompatible.

"Some of our systems say what the speed limit is, but that's as close as we're going to get [in Australia] at this stage."

Industrious E-Class owners couldn't even hack the car's computer brain and enable the software of their own volition, either.

"You can't hack it, it's impossible," he said.

The first Benz E-Class vehicles to arrive in Australia from July are the E 200 (135kW/300Nm), E 220d (143kW/400Nm) four-cylinder turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel models. The E 220d is a brand-new all-alloy diesel engine, which will be joined at launch by the bigger, stronger E 350d (190kW/620Nm).

The four-cylinder E 300 (180kW/370Nm) and six-cylinder E 400 4MATIC (245kW/480Nm) will follow late in the year, fourth quarter, and Stamoulis predicts these two will be top sellers over a 12-month period.

All models, even the E 350 e plug-in hybrid eco flagship launching here in 2017, come with a nine-speed transmission built in-house by Mercedes-Benz. Pricing for the current E-Class starts at around $80,000, and is expected to rise slightly due to all the new technologies featured as standard.

We'll have a full review and videos of the new E-Class and its safety features – even the ones banned in Australia – from March 9.