Screen on new Mercedes to stretch nearly full width of car

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The Mercedes Hyperscreen is shown in a handout photo.

FRANKFURT, Germany - Daimler's Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming electric luxury sedan: a large, curved screen that sweeps across almost the entire width of the car instead of a conventional dashboard. 

The MBUX Hyperscreen option available on the EQS sedan uses artificial intelligence to learn what functions the driver uses most, such as navigation and hands-free phone calls. Ola Kallenius, CEO of parent company Daimler AG, said Thursday in a recorded video presented online that the screen "only shows what is needed: no scrolling, no browsing."

For instance, if the driver often uses the hot-stone massage function during the winter, the user experience system will suggest the comfort function during cold weather. Or, if the driver calls someone regularly on the way home, the system will suggest a call at the usual time.

The screen also lets the front-seat passenger watch television in some markets, while preventing the driver from seeing that part of the screen to avoid distraction. 

Kallenius said the EQS would showcase the company's efforts in digitalisation and electrification, two trends that are shaking up the industry. The EQS, the electric counterpart to the Mercedes conventionally powered S-Class, is one of four battery-powered models coming this year as German carmakers seek to challenge Tesla.