Currently reading: Mercedes cars will text you if they get hit when parked
New app aims to boost car security by sending notifications of break-ins and car park scrapes

Mercedes-Benz has developed a system that can send a notification to your mobile phone if someone hits your car or attempts to steal it while it’s parked.

The new feature has been developed as part of the firm’s Mercedes me connected services. Controlled via an app, it will be available on all of the firm’s cars with the necessary sensors.

When selected, the system will be automatically activated when the car is locked and then detects if someone attempts to break into it, hits it or tries to tow it away. It also uses the in-car screen to show that it has recognised it has been hit.

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That new system is one of a number of upgrades Mercedes is rolling out to its connected services in the coming year. The firm will also introduce Amazon Alexa voice recognition compatibility, which will be available for models built after September 2014 with a communication module.

Another new system being developed for the Mercedes me app is the ability to operate the car’s sunroof and windows remotely, including a ventilation mode that will slightly open them to allow air in.

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The firm has also developed a new virtual assistant service called Ask Mercedes, which will allow people to ask questions about how to operate systems in Mercedes vehicles. That system will include an app that can uses augmented reality to highlight functions in the car on a smartphone when the user holds the camera up to the dashboard.

Mercedes app 2

The Mercedes me app is currently available in the UK, although it isn’t yet known if all the new services will be offered to British drivers.

Ask Mercedes will be launched in English in South Africa and Malaysia in the near future, with an American version following. It is due to be introduced in India, Hong Kong, Germany and a number of other countries during 2018, but there is no official word if or when it will be launched in the UK.

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James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

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xxxx 23 November 2017

Missed a trick

Why not have a camera transmitting to the phone, then you can get revenge!!!  

WallMeerkat 23 November 2017

xxxx wrote:

xxxx wrote:

Why not have a camera transmitting to the phone, then you can get revenge!!!  

 

Was thinking that, only really useful if it records and keeps the minutes before after getting hit, so that a description of the offender vehicle and hopefully a numberplate can be read.

Not sure what you mean about hydrogen though, noone mentioned hydrogen.