[Photo Credit: Motor Trend]

Hyundai’s first attempt to enter the luxury market is an unexpected success, unexpected in a good sense. The Hyundai Genesis has already made a name in the industry, and it has not only awed people but has also managed to successfully prove its worth to initially doubtful car buyers. It’s competing with a lot of tough names in the luxury segment, but it stands out because of its affordability. In that sense, it’s even better than a lot of its competitors.

 And now, Hyundai is in its newest venture, taking one step higher and aiming to get into the super-luxury market with its Hyundai Equus. The Equus is on display at the New York Auto Show, supposedly to test the reaction of Americans to this newest Hyundai.

News has it that the automaker is planning to bring this super sedan here in two to three years. That is, after it has gotten its price down, closer to $50,000. Right now, the Equus starts at $96,000, and that’s the problem. Americans may not yet accept a Hyundai with a price as high as that. But if in two to three years, Hyundai will be able to successfully bring us features and capabilities comparable to those of the Mercedes Benz S-Class, at a much lower price… well, we’d all be so glad.

Mercedes Benz is recalling some 54 units of its 2009 S-Class sedans because of an error in the door lock installation.

According to the notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the locks of the front and rear passenger side doors could have been mismatched because of a labeling error.

The result? The passenger side door might not be opened by pulling on the interior handle and the rear door might be easily opened by pulling on the interior door handle even if it’s locked. The said condition can possibly prevent passengers from getting out fast when the need arises. It can also be dangerous to children sitting at the rear, who might unintentionally and accidentally open the door while the vehicle is running.

To correct the problem, Mercedes Benz will inspect vehicles and find the affected ones. The locks would be replaced for free.

I always get excited when something new is released in the auto industry. Mercedes Benz’s newest, the Splitview Command, will make its premiere on the new 2009 Mercedes Benz S-Class. This technology allows driver and passenger to view two separate contents from a single 8-inch screen. Remarkable? Truly.

So what’s the secret behind this? People from Benz said it’s the placement of the pixel that allows one person to view one program from a certain angle (say, the driver viewing the controls) and another person to see another program from another angle (say, the passenger watching a movie).

Want a complete overview? Read the following:

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Innovative SPLITVIEW technology: Mercedes-Benz S-Class: two programmes on a screen

Stuttgart – In future Mercedes-Benz is equipping its luxury class models as the first premium brand with a display screen that allows the driver and front passenger to view two different programmes at the same time. While the driver is checking the navigation instructions, the front passenger can sit back and watch a film on the very same display. This is made possible by new SPLITVIEW technology which the Stuttgart premium brand is introducing in the S-Class for the first time.

Mercedes-Benz has integrated the new SPLITVIEW technology developed by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch into the innovative control and display system COMAND, which is centrally located in the dashboard console. Its generously dimensioned, 8-inch (approx. 20 mm) monitor shows a backlighted active matrix colour display (TFT-LCD). This shows two different images simultaneously by placing pixels adjacent to each other. A filter masking the display divides this mixed image in such a way that depending on the seating position, only the pixels making up one or the other image can be seen. As a result, the driver and front passenger can view different programmes on the same screen at the same time.

The driver still has access to all the information from the control and display system COMAND on the display, while the front passenger uses the remote control to choose his own entertainment programme with DVDs, TV channels or music videos. To avoid distracting the driver with his entertainment programme, he also has the option of enjoying the programme via headphones. As before, the driver is able to view all the information provided by the COMAND system on the display.

Mercedes-Benz is introducing the new SPLITVIEW technology in the S-Class for the first time in summer 2009.

[source:eMercedesBenz.com]

Well… Simply extraordinaire. But I wonder if this wouldn’t be too much of a distraction to the driver. Will this possibly increase accidents due to attention given to the screen instead of the road? Well, welcome to the future.