For decades, we have defined luxury cars by the quality of the materials and how well they are filled. The engine was also a big selling point as the larger discplexes were reserved for the flagship models. In 2025, the automaker playing with Upper Echelon is lined up with each other with jumbo-sized displays, clever software and other gadgets. However, Mercedes acknowledges that luxury cars should not revolve around screens.
In an honest interview with ABC News, the third-place star and design man admitted that “screens are not luxury.” Gorden Wagener knows that cramming a lot of displays into a dashboard is not even novel these days, as “every car has a big screen.” Keep in mind that this comes from the company’s chief design officer who did a big deal about the 56-inch triple display “Hyperscreen” of cars like the EQ.
Mercedes knows that in other fields you have to live to the prestige you gained in your prime. Wagener also acknowledged that there are issues that need to be addressed with ultra-advanced screens.
“From the software side, it wasn’t that good because when you have a big screen, you have great content on it. So you’re working on more specific and interesting content. .”
The hyperscreen has not disappeared. In 2026, the S-Class will receive a mid-cycle facelift with a “major upgrade” including inheriting screen layouts from the EQ. The current model already has a large center display, but Stuttgart-based Mark wants to match its range-top combustion cars to the flagship EV.
There are a few issues with screen attachment, such as how the dashboard becomes a fingerprint magnet. Thick display bezels are generally not flattering, especially in luxury cars. Oversized screens usually kill physical switchgear by cramming access to most features within the infotainment. This eliminates the high quality controls that decorate your dashboard. This is what many of us would prefer to touchscreens. As a side note, another pet pee I have is relying on ambient lighting.
When asked whether artificial intelligence could lend a helping hand in car design, Wagener was cruelly honest: “You get 99% of the crap with AI.” But it’s always improving, so Mercedes Design Chief Project AI will do heavy lifting in 10 years from now. “I think in ten years, most of the design will be done through AI. My successor will become a machine and it’s much cheaper than my salary.”
