Stuttgart. The product range of Mercedes me is becoming increasingly varied, and is available in more and more markets. With Australia, New Zealand and Thailand on board since the beginning of this year, the number of markets in which Mercedes me can be used has risen to 45. And for customers in the EU, the particularly good audio quality of the music-streaming service Tidal is available via Mercedes me – even without a subscription fee for 12 months when purchasing a new Mercedes-Benz with MBUX, integrated into the vehicle and usable with 'Hey Mercedes'. In the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, B-Class and the new GLE, customers can also order optional equipment online in the car or via the Mercedes me Store after purchasing their vehicle, thanks to MBUX.

Flood rather than waves: the Tidal streaming service with Mercedes me

For the European market, the Tidal platform is the first music streaming service to be integrated into the Mercedes me package. For the first 12 months after purchasing a new Mercedes-Benz, customers can use this service with no subscription fee - the only costs are those for data transfer. Tidal with corresponding settings is fully integrated into vehicles with MBUX, and it is sufficient to instruct the vehicle with 'Hey Mercedes' for Tidal to play the driver's favourite song.

Tidal streams the almost 60 million titles in its music library at a loss-free compression rate of 1411 kB/s, corresponding to CD quality, which is a higher audio quality than possible with other streaming services that use greater compression. Buyers of a new Mercedes-Benz without MBUX can also test the quality for themselves for twelve months, without a subscription fee, by connecting their smartphone to their Mercedes me account and using Tidal via WiFi at home, for example.

Ordering optional equipment in the car or online after vehicle purchase

·Mercedes-Benz A-Class (via MBUX: production time first quarter of 2019; Mercedes me Store: from market launch)

·Mercedes-Benz B-Class (via MBUX and Mercedes me Store: from market launch)

·New Mercedes-Benz GLE (via MBUX and Mercedes me Store: from market launch).

Even if the vehicle has already been delivered, customers can subsequently purchase the Digital Radio, Smartphone Integration (Apple Carplay/Android Auto) and Navigation. This requires the customer to have connected the car with Mercedes me, with a working data connection. The required optional equipment can then be activated via the Mercedes me Store in the head unit or online with a few clicks. This is particularly attractive in cases where the customer has forgotten to order an option ex factory. However, it is also a good opportunity for second or third owners to adapt the vehicle to their own wishes.

This also benefits markets where dealers order vehicles with equipment packages (build-to-stock), as well as the used vehicle sector and 'young classics'.

Not least, it also helps the long-term value retention of cars. For example, Digital Radio will become mandatory for new vehicles in the European Union from 2020. Customers can therefore upgrade their existing vehicle with the latest technology at a later time, increasing its resale value.

Photo credit: Mercedes-Benz
posted on conceptcarz.com

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