You might have seen a new Mercedes-Benz ad on TV recently when made implied comparisons between the company’s new E-Class sedan and its F 015 autonomous or self-driving concept car. The ad was meant to highlight the new E-Class sedan’s semi-autonomous driving features but following criticism from consumer groups over the comparison with the concept car, Mercedes-Benz has decided to discontinue the advertisement.
The ad starts off why showing the F 015 and the E-Class side by side. It asks if the world is really ready “for a car that can drive itself,” and goes on to add that “the future is here… a Mercedes-Benz concept car that’s already a reality.”
Some might call that a bit misleading because even though the new E-Class has many semi-autonomous driving aids, it’s not fully autonomous like the F 015 concept is imagined to be so a direct comparison with the concept doesn’t feel right.
One of the features that the E-Class has helps the driver in steering and maintaining space in the lane but drivers are required to have their hands on the wheel at all times. That’s far from the fully autonomous future that the company envisages with the F 015 concept.
The ad has now been pulled from the company’s TV rotation and it has even removed it from the YouTube page. A spokesperson for the company has said that it was not the intent to cause any confusion among consumers.